RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Home telemonitoring (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) in children with severe asthma does not reduce exacerbations
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 290
OP 296
DO 10.1183/09031936.00185310
VO 39
IS 2
A1 A. Deschildre
A1 L. Béghin
A1 J. Salleron
A1 C. Iliescu
A1 C. Thumerelle
A1 C. Santos
A1 A. Hoorelbeke
A1 M. Scalbert
A1 G. Pouessel
A1 M. Gnansounou
A1 J-L. Edmé
A1 R. Matran
YR 2012
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/39/2/290.abstract
AB Some children with severe asthma develop frequent exacerbations despite intensive treatment. We sought to assess the outcome (severe exacerbations and healthcare use, lung function, quality of life and maintenance treatment) of a strategy based on daily home spirometry with teletransmission to an expert medical centre and whether it differs from that of a conventional strategy. 50 children with severe uncontrolled asthma were enrolled in a 12-month prospective study and were randomised into two groups: 1) treatment managed with daily home spirometry and medical feedback (HM) and 2) conventional treatment (CT). The children’s mean age was 10.9 yrs (95% confidence interval 10.2–11.6). 44 children completed the study (21 in the HM group and 23 in the CT group). The median number of severe exacerbations per patient was 2.0 (interquartile range 1.0–4.0) in the HM group and 3.0 (1.0–4.0) in the CT group (p=0.38 with adjustment for age). There were no significant differences between the two groups for unscheduled visits (HM 5.0 (3.0–7.0), CT 3.0 (2.0–7.0); p=0.30), lung function (pre-β2-agonist forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) p=0.13), Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores (p=0.61) and median daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids (p=0.86). A treatment strategy based on daily FEV1 monitoring with medical feedback did not reduce severe asthma exacerbations.