Clinical characteristics
| Noninfective | Infective | Analysis | |
| Subjects n | 12 | 37 | NA |
| Male sex | 3 (25) | 15 (41) | p=0.3 |
| Age yrs | 37.3±16.1 | 40.5±17.9 | p=0.2 |
| Smokers | 3 (25) | 2 (17) | p=0.2 |
| Atopy | 8 (67) | 21 (57) | p=0.4 |
| Aas score 7 | 4.1±1.0 | 3.9±1.4 | p=0.2 |
| Maintenance ICS¶, µg BDP·day−1 | 1475±861 | 1606±826 | p=0.8 |
| Admitted | 4 (33) | 10 (83)* | p<0.01# |
| Admitted to ICU | 0 | 2 (17) | p=0.2# |
| Length of stay in days | 0.7±1.4 | 4.7 (5.9)* | p=0.02 |
| Acute FEV1 % pred | 70.4±24 | 45.3±31.7* | p=0.04 |
| FEV1 % pred at follow-up | 86.5±23.1 | 70.1±31.2* | p=0.04 |
| Maintenance ICS at follow-up, µg BDP·day−1 | 1523±806 | 1865±886 | p=0.5 |
Data are presented as n (%) or mean±sd unless otherwise stated
ICS: inhaled corticosteroids
BDP: beclomethasone dipropionate
ICU: intensive care unit
FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second
NA: not applicable
¶: ICS dose expressed as total daily dose of BDP in µg·day−1, where 1 µg BDP equals 1 µg budesonide and 0.5 µg fluticasone
*: p<0.05, significantly different from those with noninfective acute asthma
#: analysis using Chi-squared test