Predictors of emergency department use in children with persistent asthma in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Racial disparities are evident among children with asthma in the United States, with non-Hispanic black children at particularly high risk for poor asthma outcomes, including frequent emergency department (ED) use for asthma exacerbations.

Objective: To compare asthma features in non-Hispanic black vs white children in Atlanta, Georgia, and determine what clinical features predict future ED use for asthma.

Methods: Self-reported black and white children 6 to 17 years of age with persistent asthma treated with controller medications completed medical history questionnaires, lung function testing, aeroallergen sensitization testing, and venipuncture.