Measures Of Asthma Severity Research Articles

The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 and exacerbation-prone asthma in a cohort of urban children.

Social determinants of health underlie disparities in asthma. However, the effects of individual determinants likely interact, so a summary metric may better capture their impact. The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI) is one such tool, yet its association with exacerbation-prone (EP) asthma is unknown. To investigate the association between the COI and EP asthma and clinical measures of asthma severity in children. We analyzed data from two prospective observational pediatric asthma cohorts (n = 193). Children were classified as EP (≥1 exacerbation in the past 12 months) or exacerbation-null (no exacerbations in the past 5 years). Spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide, IgE, and Composite Asthma Severity Index (CASI) were obtained. The association between COI and EP status was assessed with logistic regression. We fit linear and logistic regression models to test the association between COI and each clinical measure. A 20-point COI decrease conferred 40% higher odds of EP asthma (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.1-1.76). The effect was similar when adjusted for age and sex (OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.1-1.75) but was attenuated with additional adjustment for race and ethnicity (OR 1.19, 95%CI 0.92-1.54). A similar effect was seen for the Social/Economic and Education COI domains but not the Health/Environment Domain. A 20-point COI decrease was associated with an increase in CASI of 0.34. COI was not associated with other clinical measures. Lower COI was associated with greater odds of EP asthma. This highlights the potential use of the COI to understand neighborhood-level risk and identify community targets to reduce asthma disparities.

A Study of Depression in Adult Patients with Bronchial Asthma Presenting to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India

Bronchial asthma is a serious global health problem. Depression, the most common mood disorder, is often found to be higher among people with chronic health conditions like bronchial asthma. Patients with newly diagnosed to have bronchial asthma (n = 100) who fulfilled the study criteria were evaluated for depression with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score. Severity and level of bronchial asthma control were determined as per Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines. Subjective asthma severity was assessed by Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire. Follow-up evaluation was done after three months of asthma management with the same study tools. In our study population, 65% asthma patients showed depression on first visit (95% Confidence interval [CI] 55.65-74.35). Correlation coefficient between subjective asthma severity and severity of depression was -0.945 (p < 0.001) while correlation coefficient between objective asthma severity and depression severity was 0.066 (p = 0.515). In follow-up visit after asthma management 63% patients still had depression (95% CI 53.54-72.46). Correlation coefficient between objective asthma control and depression severity was 0.1 (p = 0.320). Correlation coefficient between subjective asthma severity and severity of depression was -0.979 (p < 0.001). Our observational study suggests that depression is highly prevalent in asthma patients. There is a high inverse correlation between depression and patient's perception of asthma control. However, no significant correlation could be observed between objective measures of asthma severity and depression.

Phenotypes of Allergic Asthma: Does In-Vitro Allergy Testing Help Predict Asthma Disease Severity?

Allergy and asthma are often diagnosed concomitantly. Patients with both diagnoses might need to have a more targeted approach to reduce the symptomatic burden and severity of disease. This study was designed to explore the relationship between specific allergen sensitization, and asthma diagnosis and severity with the hypothesis that patients who tested positive to a higher allergy class of response and to more allergens would be more likely to have severe asthma. A retrospective review was performed on 1419 charts that had a positive IgE allergy class blood test between 2014 and 2018. A total of 701 patients had one or more positive tests and a diagnosis of asthma. Patient demographics and pertinent variables including all clinic and ED visits, specific allergy and class of response, and information related to their asthma treatment and severity were recorded. Logistic regression was used to analyze the likelihood of asthma diagnosis, concomitant diagnosis of asthma and allergic rhinitis, and measures of asthma severity. Higher class of response to cat dander 1.24 (1.09, 1.41), dog dander 1.29 (1.13, 1.47), lamb's quarter 1.35 (1.06, 1.70), house dust 1.41 (1.11, 1.82), Cladosporium herbarum 1.35 (1.07, 1.67) or cockroach 1.56 (1.00, 2.44) showed increased odds of hospitalizations. There was a statistically significant difference between the average number of classes for patients with and without asthma (P < .001), and those with and without steroids (P < .001). This study found that positivity to cat dander, dog dander, some fungus, and house dust was associated with more severe asthma.

Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease: Association Between Patient-Reported Sinus and Asthma Morbidity

The association between sinonasal and pulmonary symptoms in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease is not fully established. To characterize sinonasal and asthma symptomatology, and to determine whether reported sinonasal symptoms predict asthma severity. Prospectively collected data from an aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease registry cohort were included from 2013 to 2018. Sinonasal symptomatology measured by Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test (SNOT) 22-item total scores was used as the predictor variable, with Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores and percent predicted FEV1 (FEV1% predicted) as primary outcomes. All instances of paired data on the same date were used. ACT score was also evaluated with FEV1% predicted as the outcome. Mixed effects regression was completed. From 1065 aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease registry subjects (mean age, 48.1 ± 12.8 years; 68.0% females, 29.8% males), mean SNOT-22 score was 42.3 ± 24.12 (n= 1307 observations from 869 subjects), mean ACT score was 19.4 ± 5.2 (n= 1511 observations from 931 subjects), and mean FEV1% predicted was 82.8 ± 19.6 (n= 777 observations from 307 subjects). SNOT-22 score significantly predicted ACT scores (P < .0001, 1185 paired observations from 845 subjects) and FEV1% predicted (P= .018, 485 observations from 246 subjects). Any 10-point increase in SNOT-22 score was associated with a 0.87-point decrease in ACT score and a 0.75% decrease in FEV1% predicted. Any 1-point increase in ACT score was associated with a 1.0% increase in FEV1% predicted (P < .0001, 616 observations from 269 subjects). The most severe SNOT-22 symptoms were sense of smell/taste and blockage/congestion of nose. SNOT-22 scores significantly predict ACT scores and FEV1% predicted, and ACT scores significantly predict FEV1% predicted. This study demonstrates an association between patient-reported rhinosinusitis and asthma symptom severity and subjective and objective measures of asthma severity.

Montelukast and Neuropsychiatric Events in Children With Asthma: A Nested Case-Control Study

SD Glockler-Lauf, Y Finkelstein, J Zhu, LY Feldman, T To. J Pediatr. 2019;209:176–182.e4 To assess the association between montelukast prescription and neuropsychiatric events in children with asthma. Ontario children aged 5–18 years with an index neuropsychiatric event between April 1, 2004, and March 31, 2016, were identified as cases within a study cohort of children with physician-diagnosed asthma prescribed an asthma maintenance medication. Patients with pre-existing mental health conditions or a dispensed prescription for zafirlukast were excluded. Each case was matched based on sex, asthma diagnosis date, and birthdate to a maximum of four control patients without a neuropsychiatric event from the same study cohort. …

Nocturnal bilevel positive airway pressure for the treatment of asthma

Nocturnal worsening of asthma may be due to reduced lung volumes and fewer sigh breaths, which have been shown to increase airway resistance and bronchoreactivity. We hypothesized that mimicking deep inspiration using nocturnal mechanical support would improve symptoms in patients with asthma.Subjects with asthma underwent usual care and bilevel positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy for 4 weeks, separated by 4 weeks, and methacholine challenge (PC20) and subjective assessments.13 patients with asthma alone and 8 with asthma + OSA completed the protocol. Change in bronchoreactivity (ratio of Post/Pre PC20) was not significantly different during usual care and bilevel PAP [0.86 (IQR 0.19, 1.82) vs 0.94 (IQR 0.56, 2.5), p = 0.88], nor was the change in Asthma Control Test different: 0.1 ± 2.2 vs. –0.2 ± 2.9, p = 0.79, respectively.Bilevel PAP therapy for four weeks did not improve subjective or objective measures of asthma severity in patients with asthma or those with asthma and OSA, although there was heterogeneity in response.

Development and initial validation of the Asthma Severity Scoring System (ASSESS)

Tools for quantification of asthma severity are limited. We sought to develop a continuous measure of asthma severity, the Asthma Severity Scoring System (ASSESS), for adolescents and adults, incorporating domains of asthma control, lung function, medications, and exacerbations. Baseline and 36-month longitudinal data from participants in phase 3 of the Severe Asthma Research Program (NCT01606826) were used. Scale properties, responsiveness, and a minimally important difference were determined. External replication was performed in participants enrolled in the Severe Asthma Research Program phase 1/2. The utility of ASSESS for detecting treatment response was explored in participants undergoing corticosteroid responsiveness testing with intramuscular triamcinolone and participants receiving biologics. ASSESS scores ranged from 0 to 20 (8.78± 3.9; greater scores reflect worse severity) and differed among 5 phenotypic groups. Measurement properties were acceptable. ASSESS was responsive to changes in quality of life with a minimally important difference of 2, with good specificity for outcomes of asthma improvement and worsening but poor sensitivity. Replication analyses yielded similar results, with a 2-point decrease (improvement) associated with improvements in quality of life. Participants with a 2-point or greater decrease (improvement) in ASSESS scores also had greater improvement in lung function and asthma control after triamcinolone, but these differences were limited to phenotypic clusters 3, 4, and 5. Participants treated with biologics also had a 2-point or greater decrease (improvement) in ASSESS scores overall. The ASSESS tool is an objective measure that might be useful in epidemiologic and clinical research studies for quantification of treatment response in individual patients and phenotypic groups. However, validation studies are warranted.

347 Point-Of-Care Ultrasound to Evaluate Pulsus Paradoxus in Children with Asthma

Pulsus paradoxus (PP) is defined as a fall of systolic BP of >10mmHg during the inspiratory phase of respiration. Measurement of PP is recommended by asthma guidelines as an objective measure of asthma severity but rarely used in clinical practice. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with pulse wave Doppler measuring respiratory-phasic changes of mitral valve (MV) inflow velocities is well described in cardiac tamponade as a "sonographic” PP in the apical 4-chamber view of the heart. Biventricular interdependence has an important role in both pericardial tamponade and asthma. Our objectives were to: 1) measure the degree of PP detected by POCUS in children presenting to an ED with acute asthma, 2) compare PP in asthma to healthy age-matched controls and 3) measure the changes in PP after standard asthma therapy. A prospective convenience sample of 32 children, 16 with acute asthma were compared to 16 age-matched controls. Patients with asthma were evaluated at presentation and 2-3 hours after therapy. Using a phased array probe, an apical 4-chamber view of the heart was obtained. The pulse wave marker gate was placed inside the left ventricle and activated at the tip of the MV leaflets. The MV inflow velocities were observed over several respiratory cycles and largest and smallest early filling signals (E-waves) measured during inspiration and expiration and the difference calculated as a percentage (Emax-Emin/Emax). The mean age of 16 patients with asthma was 8.5 (6.5-10.5) years. 87.5% had a PMH of asthma, 12.5% prior intubation, 56% prior admission and 16% a prior ED visit in the last 12 months. Mean Spo2 was 95% (93-97), and RR 32 (24-40). 10 were discharged (62.5%) and 6 admitted (37.5%). The mean PP detected by ultrasound in the asthma group was 20% (15-25%) compared to age-matched controls of 9% (7-11%) (p=.001). After asthma therapy, the mean PP in all asthma patients decreased from 20% to 13% (p=0.014). Measurement of PP via POCUS identified all cases of asthma compared to age-matched controls. PP decreased significantly after asthma therapy in all asthmatics.

Estimated Ventricular Size, Asthma Severity, and Exacerbations: The Severe Asthma Research Program III Cohort

Relative enlargement of the pulmonary artery (PA) on chest CT imaging is associated with respiratory exacerbations in patients with COPD or cystic fibrosis. We sought to determine whether similar findings were present in patients with asthma and whether these findings were explained by differences in ventricular size. We measured the PA and aorta diameters in 233 individuals from the Severe Asthma Research Program III cohort. We also estimated right, left, and total epicardial cardiac ventricular volume indices (eERVVI, eELVVI, and eETVVI, respectively). Associations between the cardiac and PA measures (PA-to-aorta [PA/A] ratio, eERVVI-to-eELVVI [eRV/eLV] ratio, eERVVI, eELVVI, eETVVI) and clinical measures of asthma severity were assessed by Pearson correlation, and associations with asthma severity and exacerbation rate were evaluated by multivariable linear and zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Asthma severity was associated with smaller ventricular volumes. For example, those with severe asthma had 36.1mL/m2 smaller eETVVI than healthy control subjects (P= .003) and 14.1mL/m2 smaller eETVVI than those with mild/moderate disease (P= .011). Smaller ventricular volumes were also associated with a higher rate of asthma exacerbations, both retrospectively and prospectively. For example, those with an eETVVI less than the median had a 57%higher rate of exacerbations during follow-up than those with eETVVI greater than the median (P= .020). Neither PA/A nor eRV/eLV was associated with asthma severity or exacerbations. In patients with asthma, smaller cardiac ventricular size may be associated with more severe disease and a higher rate of asthma exacerbations. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01761630; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Detection of pepsin and IL-8 in saliva of adult asthmatic patients.

Objective: Asthma and gastric reflux disease are widespread and often coexisting diseases with complex interactions, leading some to suspect that asthma symptoms of patients with reflux may improve with anti-reflux therapy. The objective of this study was to determine whether pepsin in saliva, indicative of airway reflux, could be detected in patients with asthma of varying severity and test the requirement of citric acid as a pepsin preservative.Methods: Saliva samples were collected in the clinic (with/without citric acid) and upon waking the following morning from 25 asthmatic patients. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed for pepsin and interleukin-8 (IL-8), an inflammatory cytokine induced by pepsin in other airway epithelia. Pepsin induction of IL-8 was tested in a lung epithelial cell culture model.Results: Pepsin was detected in saliva from 14/25 patients (56%; mean concentration of pepsin in specimens where observed ±SD =80.3±87.5 ng/mL); significant agreement was found between samples collected in the presence/absence of citric acid. No significant associations were found with pepsin and clinical measures of asthma severity. IL-8 was detected in saliva from 22/25 patients (88%; mean IL-8 in all specimens where observed =3.27±3.91 ng/mL). IL-8 was significantly upregulated in human lung epithelial cells exposed to pepsin at pH7 in vitro (P=0.041).Conclusion: In summary, more than half of the asthma patients in this study were found to have pepsin in their saliva, indicative of airway reflux. These data support the use of salivary pepsin as a noninvasive tool for future investigation of airway reflux in a larger cohort. The data further suggest that collection in citric acid as a sample preservative is not warranted and that pooling of multiple saliva samples collected at various timepoints may improve sensitivity of pepsin detection and reduce costs incurred by multiple sample analysis in future studies.

Montelukast and Neuropsychiatric Events in Children with Asthma: A Nested Case–Control Study

To examine the association between montelukast prescription and neuropsychiatric events in children with asthma. A matched, nested case-control design was used to identify cases and controls from a cohort of children aged 5-18years with physician-diagnosed asthma from 2004 to 2015, in Ontario, Canada, prescribed an asthma maintenance medication. Cases were children with a hospitalization or emergency department visit for a neuropsychiatric event. Cases were matched to up to 4 controls on birth year, year of asthma diagnosis, and sex. The exposures were dispensed prescriptions for montelukast (yes/no) and number of dispensed montelukast prescriptions in the year before the index date. Conditional logistic regression was used to measure the unadjusted OR and aOR and 95% CIs for montelukast prescription and neuropsychiatric events. Covariates in the adjusted model included sociodemographic factors and measures of asthma severity. In total, 898 cases with a neuropsychiatric event and 3497 matched controls were included. Children who experienced a new-onset neuropsychiatric event had nearly 2 times the odds of having been prescribed montelukast, compared with controls (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.15-3.18; P=.01). Most cases presented for anxiety (48.6%) and/or sleep disturbance (26.1%). Children with asthma who experienced a new-onset neuropsychiatric event had nearly twice the odds of having been prescribed montelukast in the year before their event. Clinicians should be aware of the association between montelukast and neuropsychiatric events in children with asthma, to inform prescribing practices and clinical follow-up.

Assessment of asthma severity in adults with ever asthma: A continuous score.

BackgroundIn epidemiological studies, continuous measures of asthma severity should be used to catch the heterogeneity of phenotypes. This study aimed at developing and validating continuous measures of asthma severity in adult patients with ever asthma from the general population, to be used in epidemiological studies.MethodsRespiratory symptoms, anti-asthmatic treatment and lung function were measured on 520 patients with ever asthma aged 20–64 years from the general Italian population (GEIRD study; 2007/2010). The variables that represent the same dimension of asthma severity were identified through an exploratory factor analysis and were summarized through a multiple factor analysis.ResultsOnly respiratory symptoms and anti-asthmatic treatment were summarized in a continuous score (STS). STS ranges from 0 (no symptoms/treatment) to 10 (maximum symptom frequency and treatment intensity). STS was positively correlated with the Global Initiative for Asthma classification of asthma severity computed on the 137 cases with a doctor's diagnosis (Spearman’s coefficient = 0.61, p-value<0.0001) (concurrent validity). Furthermore, using a cohort of 1,097 European asthmatics (ECRHS II study; 1999/2002), increasing STS levels at baseline (1991/1993) were positively associated with long-term outcomes (hospitalization and lost workdays for breathing problems, asthma attack frequency and use of asthma controllers) (predictive validity). Finally, the STS scores computed from the GEIRD and ECRHS II data were comparable (Lin’s coefficient = 0.95, p-value<0.0001) (replication analysis).ConclusionsSTS is a valid and replicable measure of asthma severity in adults, which could be used in association studies.

Mouse Sensitization and Exposure Are Associated with Asthma Severity in Urban Children

Mouse sensitization and exposure are associated with uncontrolled asthma, but whether they are associated with asthma severity, an intrinsic disease characteristic and long-term outcome predictor, is unclear. To examine relationships between mouse sensitization and/or exposure and asthma severity in urban children. A total of 645 children (5-17 years) with uncontrolled asthma underwent mouse sensitization evaluation. Sensitized children had mouse allergen measured in bedroom dust. Relationships between mouse sensitization, allergen levels, and asthma severity measures (treatment step and Composite Asthma Severity Index [CASI]) were examined using regression models adjusted for age, sex, atopy, study site, race, ethnicity, and insurance. The study population was predominantly minority (69.6% black, 20.8% Hispanic), low income (61.8%), and mouse sensitized (54.4%). Mean ± SD treatment step was 3.2±1.6, equivalent to medium-dose inhaled corticosteroid. Mean ± SD CASI was 6.5 ± 3.4, reflecting moderate persistent asthma. Mouse sensitization was associated with higher treatment step (3.5 vs 2.9, mouse-sensitized vs nonsensitized, P<.001), independent of potential confounders (β [95% CI], 0.36 [0.07-0.64]; P= .01). Mouse sensitization was associated independently with CASI (β [95% CI], 0.82 [0.16-1.47]; P=.02). Among mouse-sensitized participants, higher bedroom floor and bed Mus m 1 were independently associated with treatment step (β [95% CI], 0.26 [0.09-0.43]; P= .002 and β[95% CI], 0.22 [0.01-0.43]; P= .04), respectively. Higher bedroom floor Mus m 1 was independently associated with CASI (β [95% CI], 0.43 [0.05-0.81]; P= .03). Mouse sensitization and exposure are associated with asthma severity, among low-income, minority children. Further studies are needed to determine whether reducing allergen exposure among mouse-sensitized patients with asthma can reduce severity, ultimately altering childhood asthma natural history.

An Interleukin 13 Polymorphism Is Associated with Symptom Severity in Adult Subjects with Ever Asthma.

Different genes are associated with categorical classifications of asthma severity. However, continuous outcomes should be used to catch the heterogeneity of asthma phenotypes and to increase the power in association studies. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate gene regions and continuous measures of asthma severity, in adult patients from the general population. In the Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD) study (www.geird.org), 326 subjects (aged 20–64) with ever asthma were identified from the general population in Verona (Italy) between 2007 and 2010. A panel of 236 SNPs tagging 51 candidate gene regions (including one or more genes) was analysed. A symptom and treatment score (STS) and pre-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted were used as continuous measures of asthma severity. The association of each SNP with STS and FEV1% predicted was tested by fitting quasi-gamma and linear regression models, respectively, with gender, body mass index and smoking habits as potential confounders. The Simes multiple-test procedure was used for controlling the false discovery rate (FDR). SNP rs848 in the IL13 gene region (IL5/RAD50/IL13/IL4) was associated with STS (TG/GG vs TT genotype: uncorrected p-value = 0.00006, FDR-corrected p-value = 0.04), whereas rs20541 in the same gene region, in linkage disequilibrium with rs848 (r2 = 0.94) in our sample, did not reach the statistical significance after adjusting for multiple testing (TC/CC vs TT: uncorrected p-value = 0.0003, FDR-corrected p-value = 0.09). Polymorphisms in other gene regions showed a non-significant moderate association with STS (IL12B, TNS1) or lung function (SERPINE2, GATA3, IL5, NPNT, FAM13A) only. After adjusting for multiple testing and potential confounders, SNP rs848 in the IL13 gene region is significantly associated with a continuous measure of symptom severity in adult subjects with ever asthma.

Asthma Action Plan Receipt among Children with Asthma 2-17 Years of Age, United States, 2002-2013

To examine national trends in the receipt of asthma action plans, an intervention recommended by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines. We used data from the sample child component of the National Health Interview Survey from 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2013 to examine the percentage of children 2-17 years of age with asthma (n = 3714) that have ever received an asthma action plan. Bivariate and multivariate (with adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and asthma outcomes consistent with greater disease severity) logistic regressions were conducted to examine trends from 2002 to 2013 and to examine, with 2013 data only, the relationship between having received an asthma action plan and both sociodemographic characteristics and indicators of asthma severity. The percentage of children with asthma that had ever received an asthma action plan increased from 41.7% in 2002 to 50.7% in 2013 (P < .001 for trend). In 2013, a greater percentage of non-Hispanic black (58.4%) than non-Hispanic white (47.4%) children (P = .028), privately insured (56.2%) vs those with public insurance only (46.3%) (P = .016), and users of inhaled preventive asthma medication vs those that did not (P < .001) had ever received an asthma action plan. Adjusted results were similar. The percentage of US children with asthma that had ever received an asthma action plan increased between 2002 and 2013, although one-half had never received an asthma action plan in 2013. Some sociodemographic and asthma severity measures are related to receipt of an asthma action plan.

Determinants Of Oral corticosteroid Responsiveness in Wheezing Asthmatic Youth (DOORWAY): protocol for a prospective multicentre cohort study of children with acute moderate-to-severe asthma exacerbations

IntroductionOral corticosteroids are the cornerstone of acute asthma management in the emergency department. Recent evidence has raised doubts about the efficacy of this treatment in preschool-aged children with viral-induced wheezing...

English

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Numerous asthma scoring systems have been devised which combine a number of physical signs to estimate the severity of an acute asthma exacerbation. Although more than 16 scoring systems exist, many are difficult to use. The pulmonary score was developed to provide ''user-friendly'' measure of asthma severity for children with acute asthma exacerbation. The objective of the study is to study the efficacy of pulmonary score in assessing the severity of acute exacerbation of asthma in comparison to peak expiratory flow rate. METHODS: The study sampled 50 children, aged 5-18 years, with mild to moderate acute exacerbation of asthma. The PEFR (best of three attempts) and the PS were measured before and after treatment at 5, 10 and 15 minutes. The PS includes respiratory rate, wheezing, and retractions, each rated on a 0-3 scale. Pre- and post-treatment PEFR and PS score were compared using paired t-tests to establish construct validity. Correlation of pre- and post-treatment PSs with PEFRs was measured to establish criterion validity. RESULTS: The mean predicted PEFR improved with treatment by 21.2% (from 50.8% to 72.0% of predicted) (p <0.0001) at 15 minutes. The mean PS improved by 2.8 (from 4.8 to 2) (p < 0.0001) at 15 minutes. Pre- and post-treatment PSs were significantly correlated with PEFRs. The correlation of pre-treatment PEFR and PS is r = -0.497 (p = 0.000), that for post treatment at 15 minutes is r = -0.589 (p = 0.000). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: These data support the construct and criterion validities of the PS as a measure of asthma severity among children. The PS is a practical substitute to estimate airway obstruction in children who are too young or too sick to

Healthy Homes: In-Home Environmental Asthma Intervention in a Diverse Urban Community

We evaluated health outcomes associated with in-home interventions in low-income urban households with children with asthma. A comprehensive health and environmental assessment and subsequent intervention were completed in 116 households with 170 enrolled children with asthma. Home health workers provided household safety, asthma prevention education, and targeted environmental intervention to decrease asthma triggers and improve household safety. We collected environmental data with questionnaire and dust samples and health information with a questionnaire incorporating the American Academy of Pediatrics Children's Health Survey for Asthma and other instruments at baseline and at follow-up 11 to 12 months later to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the health of the child and family in Lowell, Massachusetts, from September 2009 to January 2012. The diverse study population of low-income children showed a statistically significant health improvement from baseline to follow-up. The cost of the interventions (not including personnel) was $36 240, whereas the estimated medical savings over a 4-week assessment period was $71 162, resulting in an estimated annual savings of about $821 304. Low-cost, multicomponent interventions decrease all measures of asthma severity and health care utilization in a diverse population of urban children.

Dispensation of long-acting β agonists with or without inhaled corticosteroids, and risk of asthma-related hospitalisation: a population-based study

BackgroundThe role of long-acting β-agonists (LABA) added to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the management of asthma is extensively debated. We thought to assess the risk of asthma-related hospitalisation in individuals...

Asthma, FEF25-75, and Hospitalizations in Children.

Asthma is a common chronic pediatric respiratory disease associated with significant morbidity. Current guidelines recommend monitoring forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) as part of the assessment of asthma severity and control; however, many children with asthma have a normal FEV1 despite significant symptoms. Reduced forced expiratory flow between 25%-75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25-75) may be an important measure of asthma severity and control in children with normal FEV1. This study examines the association between FEF25-75 and asthma-related hospitalizations. Pulmonary function tests and records of 925 children ≤19 years of age seen for an initial evaluation of physician-diagnosed asthma at a community-based asthma clinic between 1999 and 2011 were reviewed. FEV1 ≥80% predicted and FEF25-75 ≥60% were considered normal. The associations between FEV1 and FEF25-75 and asthma-related hospitalizations were examined using logistic regression models. Thirteen percent (n=118) of the children were hospitalized for asthma at least once in the previous year. Fifty four percent (n=501) of the children met criteria for uncontrolled asthma symptoms. Asthma-related hospitalization was associated with reducing categories of FEF25-75, but not FEV1. Among the 693 children with normal FEV1 (≥80%), those with FEF25-75 <60% were more likely to have been hospitalized in the previous year (odds ratio 2.50, confidence interval 1.17-5.35) as compared to those with FEF25-75 ≥60% of predicted. In a diverse urban cohort of children with asthma, asthma-related hospitalization in the previous year was associated with reduced FEF25-75 even among those with normal FEV1. Our results suggest that FEF25-75 may provide important information in the assessment and management of asthma in children.