Improving severe pediatric asthma outcomes with the implementation of a
multidisciplinary program
Abstract
Introduction: The implementation of interdisciplinary care strategies
for the follow-up of patients with asthma has proven to be very
effective in improving the long-term evolution of these children.
Objectives: Describe the clinical, functional and therapeutic
characteristics of patients with a diagnosis of uncontrolled severe
asthma (UCSA), identify the differences in the characteristics in the
management between patients with difficult-to-treat severe asthma (SDCA)
and treatment-resistant severe asthma (STRA Materials: Analytical study
of serial cases, patients were evaluated for 6 months, patients with
UCSA diagnosis were admitted to the Pneumonology Service of the
Pediatric Hospital of Córdoba, with ages between 5 and 15 years old.
Results: 23 patients entered the study. 47.82% were defined as SDCA and
52.17% STRA. During the first 6 months of the program; hospitalizations
were only 4% (p: 0.001). Besides, the number of visits to the emergency
room decreased to 39.13% (p: 0.003). Regarding the Inhalation
technique, 73.9% (n: 17) presented improvement (p: 0.0001). Only 13%
(n = 3) of the patients continued with ACT <20 (p: 0.0001). We
found differences in the use of rescue medication (p: 0.003) and greater
attendance at Emergency Rooms (p: 0.005), during the 6-month evaluation
process, in favor of the group of treatment-resistant asthmatics
Conclusion: Implementing this type of interdisciplinary program allowed
a marked improvement in all modifiable variables of asthma in patients
with SDCA. All this not only leads to improving the management of
patients with UCSA.