Objective

Childhood mortality due to asthma remains problematic; however, asthma-related mortality in Korean children has not been previously described. This study aimed to estimate asthma mortality and morbidity and determine to what extent asthma contributes to childhood mortality in Korea.

Methods

Data from 9 to 12 million children (aged < 18 years) per year recorded for each year between 2002 and 2015 were retrieved from the Korea National Health Insurance claims database. Patients with asthma during the year preceding death were investigated. Causes of death were analysed using data obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service database. Cause-specific mortality was examined, and the mortality rate of children with asthma was compared to that of the general paediatric population with respect to the cause of death and age. Hospital use by patients with asthma, including intensive care unit admission and hospitalisation, was analysed.

Results

Asthma mortality decreased from 0.09 per 100,000 children in 2003 to 0.02 per 100,000 children in 2014, with an average mortality of 0.06 per 100,000 children. Mortality due to respiratory diseases was four times more common in patients with asthma than in the general population of children aged >5 years, despite decreases in asthma-related mortality. Asthma-related hospitalisations and intensive care interventions tended to decrease throughout the study period.

Conclusions

Asthma mortality declined in children between 2003 and 2015 in Korea. Children with asthma are at a higher risk of death from respiratory diseases than the general population.

中文翻译：

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哮喘儿童的死亡率和发病率：韩国的一项全国性研究

客观的

哮喘引起的儿童死亡率仍然是一个问题；然而，此前并未报道过韩国儿童哮喘相关死亡率。本研究旨在估计哮喘死亡率和发病率，并确定哮喘对韩国儿童死亡率的影响程度。

方法

从韩国国民健康保险索赔数据库中检索了 2002 年至 2015 年间每年记录的 9 至 1200 万儿童（年龄 < 18 岁）的数据。对死亡前一年患有哮喘的患者进行了调查。使用从韩国统计信息服务数据库获得的数据分析死亡原因。检查了特定原因的死亡率，并将哮喘儿童的死亡率与一般儿科人群的死亡率在死因和年龄方面进行了比较。分析了哮喘患者的医院使用情况，包括重症监护室入住和住院治疗。

结果

哮喘死亡率从2003年的每10万名儿童0.09人下降到2014年的每10万名儿童0.02人，平均死亡率为每10万名儿童0.06人。尽管哮喘相关死亡率有所下降，但哮喘患者因呼吸系统疾病导致的死亡率是一般 5 岁以上儿童人群的四倍。在整个研究期间，与哮喘相关的住院治疗和重症监护干预措施趋于减少。

结论

2003 年至 2015 年间，韩国儿童哮喘死亡率有所下降。患有哮喘的儿童死于呼吸道疾病的风险比一般人群更高。