UK Asthma Patients Dies Due The Lack Of Care

The first confidential enquiry report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), Why asthma still kills, found nearly half (45%, 87 patients) of those included in this study who died from asthma did not have any medical help during the final asthma attack.

For 33% of people (65 patients) there was no record of them seeking medical assistance and for 11% (22 patients) help was not given in time. The NRAD found that 80% of the children under 10 (8/10), and 72% of young people aged 10–19 (13/18) died before they reached hospital.

The NRAD was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and managed by the RCP in collaboration with professional and patient organisations. The NRAD looked at the circumstances surrounding death from asthma in order to identify patterns and trends in the care received by patients.

Dr Anita Donley, clinical vice president at the RCP said: "Why asthma still kills and the National review of asthma deaths confidential enquiry has shown that there are deficiencies in routine care for patients with asthma. Doctors and nurses are not recognising the risk of dying from an asthma attack, even for patients with mild or moderate asthma. This complacency must end and care must change if we are to reduce the number of patients dying from asthma. The review calls for a designated clinician with responsibility for asthma care in each hospital and GP surgery. We need to ensure there is provision of staff and training and education in hospitals in order to escalate treatment of patients admitted to hospital with a severe asthma attack and who may be at risk of death. Self-management is important in asthma and it is vital that we as healthcare professionals support patients in the education and management of their asthma so that they can control it and recognise when it becomes potentially life-threatening."

(CV)