PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - A. Bourdin AU - L. Bjermer AU - C. Brightling AU - G. Brusselle AU - P. Chanez AU - F. Chung AU - A. Custovic AU - Z. Diamant AU - S. Diver AU - R. Djukanovic AU - D. Hamerlijnck AU - S. Johnston AU - F. Kanniess AU - N. Papadopoulos AU - A. Papi AU - R. Russell AU - D. Ryan AU - K. Samitas AU - T. Thomy AU - E. Zervas AU - M. Gaga TI - ERS/EAACI Statement on severe exacerbations in asthma in adult: facts, priorities and key research questions AID - 10.1183/13993003.00900-2019 DP - 2019 Jan 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 1900900 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2019/08/21/13993003.00900-2019.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2019/08/21/13993003.00900-2019.full AB - Despite the use of effective medications to control asthma, severe exacerbations in asthma are still a major health risk and require urgent action on the part of the patient and physician to prevent a serious outcome such as hospitalisation or death. Moreover, severe exacerbations are associated with substantial huge healthcare costs, and psychological burden including anxiety and fear for patients and their families. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) set up a Task Force (TF) to search for a clear definition of severe exacerbations and to also define research questions and priorities. The statement includes comments from patients who were members of the TF.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. Bjermer has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Brightling reports grants and personal fees from GlaxoSmithKline, grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca/Medimmune, grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Chiesi, grants and personal fees from Roche/Genentech, personal fees from Vectura, personal fees from Theravance, personal fees from PreP, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from Sanofi/Regeneron, personal fees from Teva, grants from Pfizer, grants from Mologic, grants and personal fees from Boehringer-Inglheim, personal fees from Gossamer, personal fees from 4DPharma, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Brusselle reports personal fees from Astra Zeneca, personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, personal fees from Chiesi, personal fees from Glaxo Smith Kline, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Teva, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Chanez reports grants and personal fees from Almirall, grants and personal fees from BI, grants and personal fees from ALK, grants and personal fees from GSK, grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Teva, grants and personal fees from Chiesi, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: KFC has received honoraria for participating in Advisory Board meetings of GSK, AZ, Novartis, Merck, BI and TEVA regarding treatments for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has also been renumerated for speaking engagements.Conflict of interest: Dr. Custovic reports personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Regeneron/Sanofi, personal fees from Thermo Fisher Scientific, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Philips, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Diamant reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Sanofi-Genzyme, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Aquilon, personal fees from ALK, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Gilead, personal fees from Hal Allergy, personal fees from MSD, outside the submitted work; and Apart from my academic affiliations I work at a phase I/II unit performing clinical studies for different biotech and pharma companies.Conflict of interest: Dr. Diver has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr Djukanovic reports receiving fees for lectures at symposia organised by Novartis, AstraZeneca and TEVA, consultation for TEVA and Novartis as member of advisory boards, and participation in a scientific discussion about asthma organised by GlaxoSmithKline. He is a co-founder and current consultant, and has shares in Synairgen, a University of Southampton spin out company.Conflict of interest: Dr. Hamerlijnck has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Kanniess reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, Novartis, Mundipharma, TEVA, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: N. PapadopoulosConflict of interest: Dr. Papi reports grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from AstraZeneca,, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Boehringer Ingelheim, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Chiesi Farmaceutici, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from Sanofi/Regeneron, personal fees and non-financial support from Zambon, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Teva, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Mundipharma, personal fees and non-financial support from Almirall, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Menarini, grants from Fondazione Maugeri, grants from Fondazione Chiesi Farmaceutici, outside the submitted work. Dr. Papi reports grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from AstraZeneca, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Boehringer Ingelheim, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Chiesi Farmaceutici, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from Sanofi/Regeneron, personal fees and non-financial support from Zambon, grants, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Teva, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, personal fees, non-financial support and other from Mundipharma, personal fees and non-financial support from Almirall, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Menarini, grants from Fondazione Maugeri, grants from Fondazione Chiesi Farmaceutici, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Russell has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Ryan reports personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Trudell Medical, personal fees from AZ, personal fees from Mylan, personal fees from Optimum Patient Care, personal fees from Chiesi, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. SAMITAS has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: T. PomyConflict of interest: Dr. Gaga reports grants and personal fees from AZ, grants from BI, grants from Elpen, grants from Novartis, personal fees from BMS, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from Chiesi, grants from Menarini, personal fees from Pharmaten, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Tonia acts as ERS methodologist.