Hospital admission and absence from work attributed to asthma.

Study of a 10% sample of hospital admissions for asthma in England and Wales shows that in each age and sex group deaths have increased by at least a half between 1959 and 1964, while for males aged 15-44 years they have doubled. The number of deaths in hospital has risen in a similar way, and hence the hospital fatality rate has not changed over this period. Since study of certified absences from work has shown no comparable increase, it is suggested that the increase has occurred in the number of attacks of severe asthma requiring admission to hospital.