Asthma Common in Little Rock Children

Asthma was found uncontrolled — symptoms or use of rescue medications in the previous four weeks — in 85 percent of asthmatic children in Little Rock, Ark.

Perla A. Vargas of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., and colleagues found that only 14 percent of the non-active and less than 1 percent of the children’s active and suspected cases were controlled.

The prevalence of active symptoms indicating poor asthma control was extremely high among urban, minority children, according to Vargas.

Of the 5,417 children surveyed, 25 percent were classified as being at risk of asthma. African-American children had a higher prevalence of asthma, a higher proportion of active asthma and greater emergency-department use in the past, according to the study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

According to the investigators, the study illustrates that public school systems nationwide are challenged by the asthma epidemic with limited information and limited resources.