Clinical, Functional and Inflammatory Evaluation in Asthmatic Patients After a Simple Short-Term Educational Program

Clinical, Functional and Inflammatory Evaluation in Asthmatic Patients After a Simple Short-Term Educational Program

Background: Patient education is one of the pillars of asthma treatment according to GINA guidelines. It has considered essential for adherence to treatment and for correct technique of inhaled devices.

Objective: analyze clinical, functional and inflammatory features of adult patients with partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma, before and after an educational intervention. Methods: 58 adult asthmatic patients (18-70 years old) were randomized into two groups: intervention group (IG) (n=38) or control group (CG) (n=26). IG patients were submitted to three 30-minutes intervention of a shortterm educational program delivered by a nurse in 3 visits with a one-month interval. CG group did not receive educational intervention. All patients were submitted to a spirometry, induced sputum collection, nitric oxide measure, collecting exhaled condensed (cytokine analysis) air and it's ph measure, Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), Asthma Quality Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and answered a symptoms diary, Statistical analysis: repeated measures (Sigma Plot Software 3.0).

Inclusion criteria:

• Non-smokers or those who stopped smoking more than five years ago
• Age between 18-69 years
• Be legally capable
• Response to the short-acting bronchodilator FEV1> 12% and> 200 mL
• Absence of upper airway infection during 30 days and associated systemic diseases

Exclusion criteria:

• Smokers
• Over 70 years old
• Airway infection
• Legally incapable persons
• Diseases that may affect respiratory function