Risk Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Coping Strategies of Emergency Medicine Physicians During the COVID - 19 Pandemic

Abstract

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic condition of the airways characterized by respiratory symptoms such as airflow obstruction, inflammation, and hyper bronchial responsiveness. The symptoms present in different ways in different patients but the most common include shortness of breath, limitations in expiratory airflow, wheeze, chest tightness, and cough with varying intensity.(1) The occurrence of these symptoms determines the severity of asthma and the clinical manifestation. Asthma is a global health issue. It is listed among the top health conditions in developed countries. In the United Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, more than 25 percent of the Saudi Arabians were diagnosed with physician reported in 2004.(2) Saudi Arabia is a developed country with an average burden of more than 10%. At the time, in other developed countries, asthma prevalence fell below twenty-five percent. For instance, United Kingdom’s asthma prevalence was less than 15%.(3) A recent survey reports an increasing occurrence of asthma where it accounts for 20 percent of the total ER visits.