Improving Acute Asthma Care at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital - An Audit Cycle

Introduction: Many admissions for acute asthma are avoidable. Care following admission with acute asthma was audited at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, South Wales, simple changes were introduced, and a re-audit was conducted. Methods: Adult admissions for acute asthma were analysed for an initial 2 month period followed by the introduction of changes in practice, then re-audited for a 5 week period. Results: In the initial audit checking of inhaler technique, addressing of compliance issues and follow-up arrangements were poor performance areas. The Respiratory specialist nurse referral system was altered, increasing the percentage of patients seen by a Respiratory specialist nurse from 50% to more than 90%. Performance subsequently improved in all previously poor performance areas at re-audit. Conclusion: Simple interventions, including an alteration in the Respiratory specialist nurse referral system, led to an improvement in acute asthma care.