The confidential enquiry, the National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD), is calling for an end to complacency around asthma care to ensure that that more is done to save lives.
This first confidential enquiry report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) ‘Why asthma still kills’, found that nearly half of those included in the study who died from asthma did not have any medical help during the final asthma attack. For 33% of people there was no record of them seeking medical assistance and for 11% help was not given in time.
The NRAD found that 80% of the children under 10 and 72% of young people aged 10-19 died before they reached hospital.
The NRAD looked at the circumstances surrounding death from asthma in order to identify patterns and trends in the care received by patients. It identified that improvements are needed so that both patients and healthcare professionals are better at recognising the signs of deterioration in asthma, and are better at acting quickly when faced with a potentially fatal asthma attack.
The standard of care received was found to be less than satisfactory in one-quarter of those who died and there was ‘room for improvement’ in the care received by 83% of those who died.
The NRAD recommends that every hospital and GP practice should have a designated, named clinician for asthma services and it states that better education is needed for doctors, nurses, patients and carers to make them aware of the risks.
