Asthma Treatment and Management among the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2004. MEPS Statistical Brief No. 152

摘要

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease. It is one of the most common long-term diseases for children. Asthma attacks can vary from mild to life threatening and involve shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, chest pain or tightness, or a combination of these symptoms. Asthma medication can be inhaled or taken as a pill. The medication comes in two types: quick relief and long-term control. Quick-relief medicines control the acute symptoms of an asthma attack. This Statistical Brief uses data from the Household Component of the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) to estimate treatment regimens of persons who reported that they were ever told by a physician or other health professional that they had asthma. The brief presents data on medications and devices as they are used by different population groups. All comparisons discussed in the text are statistically significant at the .05 level unless otherwise noted.