PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Y. Mao
AU  - R. Semenciw
AU  - H. Morrison
AU  - L. MacWilliam
AU  - J. Davies
AU  - D. Wigle
TI  - Increased rates of illness and death from asthma in Canada
DP  - 1987 Oct 01
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 620--624
VI  - 137
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/137/7/620.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/137/7/620.full
SO  - CMAJ1987 Oct 01; 137
AB  - Recent rates of illness and death from asthma in Canada and rates of hospital admission/separation for asthma were examined by age group and region. The death rates were higher in 1982-84 than in 1970-72, especially among those aged 15 to 34 years. Increases were also noted in hospital admission/separation rates, especially among those less than 15 years of age. Hospital admission/separation rates were highest in the Maritime provinces and Saskatchewan, whereas death rates were highest in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Examination of death certificates for coding errors and recoding of certificates to a single (8th) revision of the International Classification of Diseases indicated that changes in disease coding and errors in coding did not account for the significant increase in rates of death from asthma for those aged 15 to 34 years. These increases in rates of illness and death from asthma are unexplained and warrant further investigation.