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A management strategy that controls lower airway eosinophilic inflammation and symptoms reduced exacerbations in asthma

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 QUESTION: In patients with asthma, is a management strategy that controls lower airway eosinophilic inflammation and symptoms more effective than standard care for reducing asthma exacerbations?

Design

Randomised {allocation concealed*}, blinded (clinicians and patients),* controlled trial with 12 months of follow up.

Setting

3 specialist clinics at a hospital in Leicester, UK.

Patients

74 patients (54% men, age range 18–75 y) who had moderate to severe asthma and probably needed continued hospital follow up. Exclusion criteria included current smokers, a smoking history of >15 pack years, clinically important comorbidity, poor compliance with treatment, aggravating factors that were inadequately controlled (eg, rhinitis), and a severe exacerbation within 4 weeks of entry to the trial. Follow up was 92%.

Intervention

37 patients each were allocated to management with reference to the induced sputum eosinophil count (eosinophil group) or management by a modified …

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Footnotes

  • Source of funding: Trent NHS Regional Research Scheme.

  • For correspondence: Dr I D Pavord, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK.ian.Pavord{at}uhl-tr.nhs.uk

  • Abstract and commentary also appear in ACP Journal Club.

  • * See glossary.

  • Information provided by author.