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