We examined the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults with acute asthma and the relationship between smoking status and visits to the emergency department of a hospital.
Setting and patients: 198 subjects (79 men), in whom acute asthma had been newly diagnosed by physicians in a municipal hospital in 2005, were included in this study.
Results: Thirty-five percent of the enrolled asthmatic patients were current smokers with a mean of 21 pack-years, while 18% were former smokers, and 47% were never-smokers. The current smokers comprised 41% of all male patients and 31% of all female patients in this study. In the asthmatic patients aged 50 or older, 27% of men and 13% of women were current smokers, while in those younger than 50, the same percentages were 59% and 50%, respectively. Since July 31, 2007, 6 current smokers (8.7%) had visited the emergency department due to asthmatic attacks, while 3 (8.3%) were ex-smokers and 1 (1.1%) was a never-smokers (p < 0.011).
Conclusion: Cigarette smoking was common among patients with acute asthma, especially younger women. A current-smoker status is therefore considered to be associated with emergency visits to hospitals due to asthmatic attacks.