Comparison between the prevalence and treatment of wheezing and coughing in Brampton and Mississauga children.

An analysis of hospital discharge data showed that Brampton children 4 years and under had higher rates of hospital admissions for asthma, bronchitis and upper respiratory infections than children in the same age group living in Mississauga and other Ontario municipalities. The present study was done to compare the prevalence and treatment of wheezing and coughing between Brampton and Mississauga children 4 and 5 years of age. The study showed that increased use of pediatricians on the part of Mississauga children in comparison to Brampton children resulted in a higher proportion being placed on anti-asthmatic medications even though the underlying prevalence rate of wheezing and coughing was the same in the two samples. Further study is required to determine whether differences in primary care between the two samples can explain a two-fold increase in hospital admission rates for lower respiratory illness among Brampton preschool children in comparison to their counterparts in Mississauga.