8 September 2010
Doctors at Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals are urging local children and young people with asthma to take extra care over the coming month, as admissions to hospitals because of the condition jump significantly in September.
In September of last year, 37 children were admitted to the Trust's hospitals because of asthma - a considerable increase from just seven in August. Figures also show similar jumps over the past three years - in September 2007 the number of admissions at the Trust rose by 98%, in 2008 it rose by 260% and last year, September's admissions rose by a staggering 290%¹.
Deputy Medical Director and consultant paediatrician at the Trust, Dr Ruth Charlton said: "People with asthma are well educated about their condition and can manage it very well, but changes in the environment can have a great effect on asthma sufferers. We would like to ask everyone to take extra care during September and to make sure they always have their inhalers handy.
"It's also important for people who do not have asthma to be aware of the rise, as you could be on the scene when someone needs your help. If you see someone having an asthma attack who isn't responding to their inhalers, you should seek medical advice immediately.
"September is a particularly difficult month for young people with asthma, as the start of the school year and the changes to the weather can make asthmatics very wheezy. It's not helped by the fact that the leaves are beginning to turn and fall from the trees, causing extra spores to be released into the atmosphere - that's also something that can exacerbate asthma."
¹ Figures show percentage rise in number of under 16 year olds admitted to hospital because of asthma during September, compared with the average number of monthly admissions from March to August of the same year.
