Background/Objectives: Asthma remains a prevalent cause of emergency department (ED) visits worldwide, necessitating prompt and effective intervention to prevent severe morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates the management of asthma patients presenting to the ED, focusing on clinical assessment, treatment strategies, diagnostic evaluations, and discharge practices. Methods: This retrospective audit was conducted in a regional hospital in Queensland, Australia. All ED patients between July 2023 and June 2024 with a diagnosis of asthma were included. Findings were benchmarked against international asthma guidelines to assess adherence to best practice. Results: A total of 199 patients were included. This study found that bronchodilator therapy was administered in 92.5% of cases and systemic steroids were given to 73.4% of patients, aligning with guidelines. However, significant deficiencies were noted in using objective lung function assessments, with only 1% of patients undergoing peak expiratory flow measurement and none undergoing spirometry, despite guideline recommendations advocating for their routine use. Additionally, inhaled corticosteroid prescriptions upon discharge were recorded in 19.6% of cases, compared to the recommended target of over 80%. There was a 6% relapse rate within a month of ED discharge. Conclusions: These gaps indicate potential areas for improvement, particularly in structured airflow assessment and post-discharge asthma management.
Kumar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.