Background: The measurement of fractional nitric oxide concentration in exhaled breath (FeNO), a noninvasive indicator of airway inflammation, remains controversial as a tool to assess asthma control. Guidelines currently limit asthma control assessment to symptom and spirometry based appraisals such as the Asthma Control Questionnaire-7 (ACQ-7). We aimed at determining whether adding FeNO to ACQ-7 improves current asthma clinical control assessment, through enhanced detection of not well controlled asthma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: No valid tools exist for evaluating the prognosis in the short and medium term after hospital discharge of patients with COPD. Our hypothesis was that a new index based on the CODEX (comorbidity, obstruction, dyspnea, and previous severe exacerbations) index can accurately predict mortality, hospital readmission, and their combination for the period from 3 months to 1 year after discharge in patients hospitalized for COPD.
Methods: A multicenter study of patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbations was used to develop the CODEX index, and a different patient cohort was used for validation.
Background: Comorbidities are frequent in patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbation, but little is known about their relation with short-term mortality and hospital readmissions. Our hypothesis is that the frequency and type of comorbidities impair the prognosis within 12 weeks after discharge.
Methods: A longitudinal, observational, multicenter study of patients hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation with spirometric confirmation was performed.
J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv
February 2012
Background: Studies in many countries in the 1990s revealed deficiencies in physicians' knowledge about inhalation therapy. In an attempt to remedy this situation, Spanish scientific societies implemented a variety of educational strategies. The objective of the present study was to assess changes in attitudes and knowledge about inhalers and inhalation techniques in a sizable sample of physicians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The present study was designed to describe the clinical profile of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the treatment prescribed by primary care physicians (PCPs) in Spain.
Method: An observational, multicenter and cross-sectional study was performed in patients diagnosed with acute exacerbation of COPD and treated by PCPs. Patients diagnosed with asthma, cystic fibrosis, significant bronchiectasis or pneumonia were not included in the study.
Background And Objective: AM3 is an immunomodulator that significantly improves the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study examined the effect of AM3 on the quality of life of patients in different risk groups and identified the factors associated with change in this variable.
Patients And Method: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving parallel groups of patients.
Bird fancier's lung (BFL) is one of the most common types of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Nevertheless, the criteria for diagnosing this condition are not standardized. The current study is an in-depth investigation into the clinical characteristics of BFL in the largest series examined for this purpose by a single group, to our knowledge, taking into account the acute, subacute, or chronic clinical presentation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis
March 2009
Aims: Data on differences in clinical characteristics and management of COPD in different countries and settings are limited. We aimed to characterize the profile of patients with COPD in a number of countries and their treatment in order to evaluate adherence to recommendations of international guidelines.
Method: This was an observational, international, cross-sectional study on patients with physician-diagnosed COPD.
Objective: We performed a multicentre study under a 2-year observational protocol that included data on time to recovery from acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD) in patients receiving moxifloxacin and comparator antimicrobials.
Patients And Methods: Outpatients with moderate or severe COPD were recruited from respiratory clinics throughout Spain. Moxifloxacin was available in year 2, and was to be prescribed to 50% of patients in that period in a non-randomised allocation.
Objective: This study attempted to determine the total direct costs derived from the management of chronic bronchitis and COPD in an ambulatory setting through a prospective, 1-year, follow-up study.
Method: A total of 1,510 patients with chronic bronchitis and COPD were recruited from 268 general practices located throughout Spain. Patients were followed up for 1 year.
Background: Although exacerbations are the main cause of medical visits and hospitalizations of patients with chronic bronchitis and COPD, little information is available on the costs of their management.
Objective: This study attempted to determine the total direct costs derived from the management of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD in an ambulatory setting.
Method: A total of 2,414 patients with exacerbated chronic bronchitis and COPD were recruited from 268 general practices located throughout Spain.