Background: Inhaled corticosteroids are indicated in children who have mild persistent asthma. Fluticasone propionate is a newer corticosteroid agent with higher potency compared with previous generations. However, still few dose-ranging studies have been investigated for optimal dosing of inhaled corticosteroids particularly in children with regard to the tolerability and safety of the drug. T...

BACKGROUND Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the first-line therapy in the treatment of persistent asthma. At medium to high doses and prolonged usage, ICS can supresss the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) is a corticotropin-dependent adrenal androgen precursor that is supressible in patients treated with ICS. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the adrenal axi...

Asthma is a chronic disease causing psychological stress which leads to the activation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The purpose of this study is to compare morning salivary cortisol levels in persistent asthma patients according to their disease severities and control status. Total 206 adult asthma patients were recruited from four university hospitals. Spirometry, questionnaire of A...

Asthma represents a growing public health problem and the cost of asthma has been rising in many countries. The aim of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect cost of asthma among adult patients in Italy, and to assess the relationship between healthcare resource use and asthma severity according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) classification system. A multicentre cross-se...

BACKGROUND Patients with asthma who visit the emergency department (ED) may benefit from education that optimizes self-management and treatment. OBJECTIVE To conduct a randomized trial of asthma education (AE) after an ED visit. METHODS Patients who present with acute asthma and history consistent with moderate to severe persistent asthma or recent ED visits were stratified by age (adult, c...

BACKGROUND Ciclesonide (CIC) is an effective inhaled corticosteroid for treating asthmatic children. However, its effect on airway inflammation assessed by the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) in children with persistent asthma is virtually unknown. We aimed to assess the effect of once-daily generic CIC, 80 or 160 μg, on FENO, lung function, asthma control and bronchial hyperresponsiven...

STUDY OBJECTIVES (1) To assess the prevalence of specific factors considered causative or contributive to asthma in a population of patients seen in a specialized asthma clinic, and to determine whether any of these factors were associated with more severe disease; and (2) to assess the utilization of inhaled steroids by asthma severity in this population and compare it with published guideline...

The occasional use of over-the-counter (OTC) epinephrine inhalers appears to be safe and effective when used according to labeled instruction by individuals with mild, intermittent asthma. However, gross misuse of these products can cause severe adverse reactions, including death. Limited survey data suggest that approximately 20% of individuals using OTC epinephrine inhalers have mild-to-moder...

OBJECTIVES Asthma is one of the more common reasons for children's visits to the emergency departments (EDs). Many studies show that the level of asthma care and self-management in children before an ED visit for asthma is often inadequate; however, most of these studies have been conducted in the inner cities of large urban areas. Our objectives were to describe asthma care and management in c...

OBJECTIVE Inhaled corticosteroids are widely used in developed countries. On the other hand, due to its high cost, this kind of drug is underused in asthmatic patients living in developing countries. The present study aims at verifying the use of controller medication in children with moderate or severe persistent asthma at admission to a specialized outpatient facility. METHODS Descriptive s...