Hospital admissions and death rates from asthma in Kuwait during pre- and post-Gulf War periods

Background: The aim of the present study is to compare hospital admissions and death rates from asthma between pre (1987 to 1989)- and post (1992 to 1994)-Gulf War periods. Methods: Data on annual hospital admissions by nationality and age, per International Statistical Classification of Diseases 493, were collected from the Health Statistics Department, Ministry of Health, Kuwait, and were analyzed with population data from the Annual Statistical Reports, Ministry of Planning, Kuwait. Results: A total of 12,113 patients with asthma were admitted to various hospitals in Kuwait during the pre-Gulf War period compared with 9,771 patients during the post-Gulf War period. The average annual admissions rates per 100,000, people were 205 and 217, respectively, for the pre- and postwar periods. Total number of admissions showed an increase among Kuwaiti nationals during the study period. There were 95 deaths during the prewar period compared with 72 deaths during the postwar period. The mean annual death rates per 100,000 people were 1.60 and 1.59 respectively, for the pre- and post-Gulf War periods. Conclusions: This study did not show any statistically significant differences in either hospital admissions for or death rates attributable to asthma in the pre- and post-Gulf War periods in Kuwait. However, the number of hospital admissions in young adult Kuwaiti nationals increased. This study suggests hospital admissions and deaths from asthma did not increase after the invasion of Kuwait.