ABS75: Asthma treatment in Spain — Study in primary care and Pneumology Services

Abstract

Introduction:

Asthma is a disease that can easily be controlled but it presents a high morbidity rate due to poor patient care.

Aims and objectives:

To find out about the quality of the care given to asthmatic patients in Spain, both in primary care and Pneumology Services, assessing how asthma and general morbidity are diagnosed and treated.

Subjects and methods:

Data were collected from 2346 asthmatic patients, chosen at random, seen in primary care and Pneumology Departments. The data were collected in two different periods: winter- spring and summer-autumn. There was a questionnaire for each center to record the techniques and the prevalence data; there was another questionnaire to record each patient's treatment and the morbidity data.

Results:

The spirometry was performed at least once a year in 87.2% of the patients seen in primary care and 39.8% in Pneumology Services. Morbidity was high in both groups with more than two night time awakenings per month (25% in Pneumology versus 29% in Primary Care) and visits to the emergency services in the previous year (26% vs 21%). A high percentage of asthmatic patients were using both inhaled corticoids and long-acting b2- agonists (49.5% vs 32%). Thirty percent of the primary care patients could not be classified into any of the recommended treatments in international guidelines.

Conclusions:

In Spain, the asthma morbidity is high, despite the large use of drugs. Objective monitoring tests of lung function have been limited in primary care and there is room for improvement in the treatment provided.

Conflict of interest and funding

ASTRAZENECA Farmaceutica Spain, S.A. financed the logistic aspects of the study.