#7720PATIENTS' HOME PHOTOS HELP IDENTIFY ASTHMA TRIGGERS(Monday, October 27, 10:30 AM EST)
The use of in-home photography may be a more cost-effective alternative to in-home inspections for identifying asthma and allergy triggers. Researchers from Truman Medical Center and the University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, selected 50 adult subjects with persistent asthma to take photos of a predetermined list of areas in their home using a disposable camera. All subjects completed a questionnaire addressing triggers prior to and after taking in-home photos. All film was reviewed with the subjects at the third visit. Subjects then received education on the identified triggers and cost-effective measures to reduce or eliminate exposure. Three of the 50 subjects were randomly selected to receive an in-home assessment by a trained environmental specialist. Triggers identified by in-home inspection by an environmental specialist were very similar to those identified by the use of a disposable camera. Results suggest in-home photography ($13 cost) may be a cost-effective alternative to professional visual home assessments ($300 to $400 cost).
#6967ASTHMA IN CHILDREN CHANGES WITH THE SEASONS(Monday, October 27, 2:30 PM EST)
Health-care utilization for children with asthma changes with the seasons, peaking in the fall. Using data from the United Healthcare database, researchers from the University of North Carolina reviewed health-care utilization patterns and asthma medication usage in children aged 2 to 5 years and 6 to 12 years from 2002 to 2004. Results showed that health-care utilization was minimal in the summer; however, September consistently served as a point of inflection for health-care utilization for both age groups. In October and November, peak emergency department visits for the two age groups were approximately 2.4 to 2.8 times higher than in July; outpatient visits were approximately 3.1 to 3.3 times higher; and hospitalizations were approximately 3.7 to 5.6 times higher. Asthma controller and reliever medications claims increased beginning in September and peaked in December. Rates for health-care use and claims for asthma medications also were elevated in February.
#6574SWIMMING EFFECTIVE THERAPY FOR ASTHMA(Tuesday, October 28, 1:00 PM EST)
Swimming may be an effective intervention for children with asthma. Taiwanese researchers followed 30 children with asthma to investigate the effects of a 6-week swimming intervention on pulmonary function testing (PFT), peak expiratory flow monitoring (PEFM), and the severity of asthma (SOA). Twenty boys and 10 girls were randomly assigned to receive regular asthma treatment combined with a 6-week swimming training (experimental group) or regular asthma treatment alone (control group). Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in PEFM and SOA. These results suggest that swimming may be an effective nonpharmacologic intervention for children with asthma.
#6960THAI CHI HELPS PATIENTS CONTROL ASTHMA(Wednesday, October 29, 10:30 AM EST)
Thai chi training may help patients with asthma improve their exercise performance and asthma control. Researchers in Thailand enrolled 17 patients with persistent asthma in a 6-week Thai Chi Qigong training program. After Tai Chi Qigong training, patients showed significant improvements in peak flow variability, asthma control test score, negative inspiratory pressure, 6-minute walk distance, and quality of life. Patients also increased their maximum work rate, maximum oxygen consumption, and exercise endurance time. Researchers conclude that Tai Chi Qigong training could be an effective, nonpharmacologic, adjunctive therapy for patients with persistent asthma to help them achieve better asthma control and quality of life.
#7008SPECIALISTS DISAGREE WITH BLACK BOX WARNING ON LABAs(Wednesday, October 29, 10:30 AM EST)
New research shows that more pulmonologists and allergists (specialists) disagree with the black box warning (BBW) given to long-acting β-agonists (LABAs) compared with internists and family physicians (primary care physicians). Researchers from North Shore University Hospital in New York surveyed 429 pulmonologists, 395 allergists, 141 internists, and 132 family physicians regarding their awareness of and attitude toward BBWs. Twice as many primary care physicians (45.6 percent) agreed with the BBW compared with specialists (24.2 percent). Primary care physicians also were more likely to alter their prescribing habits compared with specialists (40 percent vs. 34 percent) however, specialists were more likely to discuss the BBW with their patients than were primary care physicians (87 percent vs. 64 percent).
#7359INCREASED BMI MAY BLUNT ASTHMA MEDICATIONS(Wednesday, October 29, 10:30 AM EST)
People who are overweight or obese may not experience the intended effects of asthma medications. In a retrospective analysis, researchers from GlaxoSmithKline analyzed the effect of increasing body mass index (BMI) on achieving asthma control with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol via Diskus compared with montelukast. Overall, a BMI >25 appeared to blunt a person's response to asthma therapy in general; however the superiority of FSC compared to MON persisted over the entire range of BMIs.
#6601NASAL SPRAY IMPROVES RHINITIS-RELATED CHRONIC COUGH(Wednesday, October 29, 1:00 PM EST)
Patients with rhinitis-related chronic cough may be able to control their cough using nasal sprays. Researchers at Cough Center, Inc, in California treated 266 patients (ages 7 to 85 years) with seasonal allergic (3 percent), nonallergic (65 percent), or mixed rhinitis (32 percent) with open-label combinations of azelastine nasal spray, steroid nasal sprays, ipratropium nasal spray, or cromolyn nasal spray. The median duration of cough was 7 years and the percentage of smokers was less than 1 percent. Of the patients, 72 percent with rhinitis-associated chronic cough experienced improvement with intranasal therapy. The most effective combination therapies were azelastine nasal spray with ipratropium and cromolyn sprays (73 percent) and azelastine nasal spray and intranasal steroid sprays (76 percent). Researches conclude that chronic cough, due to both allergic and nonallergic causes of postnasal drip, can be adequately controlled with the use of nasal rinses and sprays.