Study finds secondhand smoke sends more kids to the hospital
Ashley L. Merianos et al. Child tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) and healthcare resource utilization patterns. Pediatric Research. 6 June 2020. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-020-0997-0
“Children exposed to tobacco smoke were 24 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than unexposed children… kids exposed to tobacco smoke were 27 times more likely to receive steroids during their emergency department visit and over 15 times more likely to receive albuterol, a bronchodilator used to treat asthma attacks.”
Authors conclude: “Tobacco smoke-exposed children are more likely to have higher resource utilization patterns, highlighting the importance of screening and providing TSE prevention and remediation interventions.”
Stephen Hamann
