Nearly 60,000 fewer children were hospitalized for asthma in 2006 than in 1997, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. However, almost 70,000 more children were hospitalized with asthma as a secondary diagnosis in 2006 than in 1997.
About 335,000 children with asthma were hospitalized in 2006, 41% of whom were admitted for asthma. Children from communities where the average annual income was less than $37,000 were 76% more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than those from wealthier communities.
The estimates are based on data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Kids’ Inpatient Database. Asthma is the leading chronic condition among children.
