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Recent asthma exacerbations predict future exacerbations in children with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma

Tmirah Haselkorn1, Robert S Zeiger, Bradley E Chipps

  • 1Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, Calif, USA. haselkorn.tmirah@gene.com

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|November 10, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Recent severe asthma exacerbations in children with difficult-to-treat asthma predict future severe exacerbations (FSEs). Identifying these predictors helps in developing better asthma management plans for children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Asthma Research
  • Clinical Epidemiology

Background:

  • Children with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma face significant morbidity, including frequent severe exacerbations.
  • Predictors for these exacerbations require further investigation to reduce their incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between recent severe exacerbations (RSEs) and the risk of future severe exacerbations (FSEs) in children with severe/difficult-to-treat asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a 3-year observational study involving children aged 6-11 years.
  • Defined RSE as corticosteroid bursts in the 3 months prior to visits and FSE as bursts 6 or 12 months later.
  • Used logistic regression to assess FSE risk, adjusting for demographic and clinical variables.

Main Results:

  • RSE was a strong predictor of FSE at 6 months (OR, 3.08).
  • Having 3-4 allergic triggers (OR, 2.05), specific race (OR, 1.77), and poor asthma control (OR, 1.59) also predicted FSE.
  • These findings were derived from multivariable modeling.

Conclusions:

  • Recent severe asthma exacerbations are a significant independent predictor of future severe exacerbations in children with severe asthma.
  • These findings should inform asthma management strategies for this vulnerable population.
Abstract

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