Quality of acute asthma care: an audit of clinical practice in a Victorian health service

Background Gaps in the treatment of patients with acute asthma have been repeatedly described in Australia. We conducted a retrospective audit of acute asthma care at a Victorian tertiary institution. Aims To describe acute asthma care at a large health network in metropolitan Melbourne, and evaluate the extent to which Emergency Department (ED) care was consistent with National Asthma Council guidelines. Methods A retrospective audit was performed of medical records between July 2017 and June 2019. We included adult patients admitted to campuses within the Western Health network in Melbourne, Victoria, where the length of stay was at least 12 h, and the primary discharge diagnosis was asthma. Results Four hundred and ninety-three admissions were included in the analysis, representing 392 individual patients. Seventy-one percent of patients were female and 27% were current smokers. Ninety-six percent of patients had a prior asthma diagnosis, 63% had a previous hospital presentation and 75% were prescribed an inhaled preventer. In the ED, systemic corticosteroids and inhaled salbutamol were prescribed in 65% and 82% admissions respectively; adjunctive treatments included ipratropium (67% of admissions), magnesium sulfate (30%), adrenaline (11%) and non-invasive ventilation (9%). Overall, ED care was guideline concordant in 59% of admissions. On the wards, treatments prescribed within 24 h of admission included corticosteroids (90% of admissions), salbutamol (84%), ipratropium (64%) and inhaled preventers (63%). The proportion of patients prescribed these treatments, as well as documented follow up (e.g. asthma action plans), varied significantly depending on the treating specialty. Conclusion The emergency treatment of patients with acute asthma frequently deviated from guidelines and there was significant variation in inpatient treatment. Quality improvement initiatives that incorporate structural changes are required to improve asthma care.