@article {Capilip1129, author = {Conrad Capili and Robert Jacobson and Xujian Li and Young Juhn}, title = {Revisiting the September asthma epidemic}, volume = {38}, number = {Suppl 55}, elocation-id = {p1129}, year = {2011}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Background: September asthma epidemic has been well documented. Whether a similar pattern of asthma exacerbation is observed in children returning to school from winter and spring break is unknown.Objective: To assess whether the September asthma epidemic occurs in Olmsted County, Minnesota and determine whether similar asthma epidemics occur after winter and spring break.Methods: The study included all asthmatic children ages 5-18 who had received medical care at our institution as of March 12, 2008 (n=3092). Asthma status was defined by physician diagnosis in the medical records. We compared the frequency of all asthma-related hospitalizations, ED visits, outpatient visits, and corticosteroid therapies for acute asthma symptoms between August and September of 2008 and 2009. Similarly we compared the frequency of all asthma-related visits or treatments between during and after spring break and between during and after winter break.Results: The frequency of asthma-related visits and treatments in September of 2008 and 2009 was 2.1\% per person-month, which was significantly greater than that in August of 2008 and 2009 (1.1\% per person-month) (p=0.003). Similarly, the frequency of asthma-related visits and therapies during the period after spring break of 2008 and 2009 (1.89\% per person-month) tended to be greater than that during spring break (0.75\% per person-month) (p = 0.063). There was no difference in asthma-related visits or therapies during and after winter break (p=0.59).Conclusions: The September asthma epidemic does occur in our study setting, but this may not be a September-specific concern. Clinicians should consider a step-up therapy and reinforce medication compliance for asthma exacerbation-prone children returning to school.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1129}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }