Outcome and use of health services four years after admission for acute myocardial infarction: case record follow up study.

seems to have been increasing over recent decades in children in industrialised countries ; awareness of asthma is believed to have increased during the observation period; and a labelling shift from bronchitis to asthma has probably occurred during this period. Because an increased incidence of new admissions to hospital for asthma was not observed, other factors must have had a moderating influence on the risk of admission. The factors favouring an increased incidence of asthma may mainly contribute mild cases of asthma, which would add little to the risk of admission to hospital and readmission. This is probably not, however, a major factor, since the relative contribution of short admissions was unchanged throughout the period. The reduced risk of readmission over the study period therefore suggests that the treatment of chronic asthma has improved. The reduced length of stay in hospital for both first admissions and readmissions substantiates this interpretation of our data. In conclusion, these data provide evidence suggesting that the management of asthma in Danish children has improved, leading to less frequent readmission and to shorter stays in hospital.