Environmental management of asthma in clinical practice: Results from the 2012 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Background: The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines emphasize environmental control as an integral part of asthma management; however, limited national-level data exist on how clinicians implement environmental control recommendations.

Objective: We analyzed data on clinicians' self-reported use of recommended environmental control practices in a nationally representative sample (n = 1645) of primary care physicians, asthma specialists, and advanced practice providers from the National Asthma Survey of Physicians, a supplemental questionnaire to the 2012 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Methods: We examined clinician and practice characteristics as well as clinicians' decisions and strategies regarding environmental trigger assessment and environmental control across provider groups.

Genome-wide association study in minority children with asthma implicates DNAH5 in bronchodilator responsiveness.

Variability in response to short-acting β-agonists (e.g., albuterol) among patients with asthma from diverse racial/ethnic groups may contribute to asthma disparities.

A Practical Guide to Implementing SMART in Asthma Management.

The use of a single inhaler containing the combination of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and formoterol, a specific long-acting bronchodilator, for both maintenance and quick relief therapy (single maintenance and reliever therapy [SMART or MART]) is recommended by both the Global Initiative for Asthma and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee in steps 3 and 4 of asthma management. This article provides practical advice about implementing SMART in clinical practice based on evidence and clinical experience. Fundamental to SMART is that ICS-formoterol provides quick relief of asthma symptoms similar to that of short-acting β-agonists such as albuterol, while reducing the risk for severe asthma exacerbations and at an overall lower ICS exposure.

Smoking cessation and counseling: A mixed methods study of pediatricians and parents.

Objective: Pediatric providers play an important role in parental and youth smoking cessation. The goal of this study was to understand smoking cessation attitudes of parents and the behaviors, confidence and self-efficacy of pediatricians related to providing smoking cessation counseling to parents and youth.

Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted in a convenience sample of families (n = 1,549) and pediatric primary care clinicians (n = 95) in Connecticut using surveys and focus groups from April, 2016 to January, 2017.

2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines: A Report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group.

The 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines: A Report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group was coordinated and supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. It is designed to improve patient care and support informed decision making about asthma management in the clinical setting. This update addresses six priority topic areas as determined by the state of the science at the time of a needs assessment, and input from multiple stakeholders:A rigorous process was undertaken to develop these evidence-based guidelines.

Managing Asthma in Adolescents and Adults: 2020 Asthma Guideline Update From the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program.

Importance: Asthma is a major public health problem worldwide and is associated with excess morbidity, mortality, and economic costs associated with lost productivity. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program has released the 2020 Asthma Guideline Update with updated evidence-based recommendations for treatment of patients with asthma.

Objective: To report updated recommendations for 6 topics for clinical management of adolescents and adults with asthma: (1) intermittent inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs); (2) add-on long-acting muscarinic antagonists; (3) fractional exhaled nitric oxide; (4) indoor allergen mitigation; (5) immunotherapy; and (6) bronchial thermoplasty.

A genome-wide association study of severe asthma exacerbations in Latino children and adolescents.

Severe asthma exacerbations are a major cause of school absences and healthcare costs in children, particularly those in high-risk racial/ethnic groups.To identify susceptibility genes for severe asthma exacerbations in Latino children and adolescents, we conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in 4010 Latino youth with asthma in four independent cohorts, including 1693 Puerto Ricans, 1019 Costa Ricans, 640 Mexicans, 256 Brazilians and 402 members of other Latino subgroups. We then conducted methylation quantitative trait locus, expression quantitative trait locus and expression quantitative trait methylation analyses to assess whether the top single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the meta-analysis is linked to DNA methylation and gene expression in nasal (airway) epithelium in separate cohorts of Puerto Rican and Dutch children and adolescents.

A genome-wide association study of asthma hospitalizations in adults.

Background: Little is known about the genetic determinants of severe asthma exacerbations.

Objectives: We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with asthma hospitalizations.

Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study of asthma hospitalizations in 34,167 white British adults with asthma, 1,658 of whom had at least 1 asthma-related hospitalization.

Correction: Pharmacogenomic associations of adverse drug reactions in asthma: systematic review and research prioritization.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Use of National Asthma Guidelines by Allergists and Pulmonologists: A National Survey.

Background: Little is known about specialist-specific variations in guideline agreement and adoption.

Objective: To assess similarities and differences between allergists and pulmonologists in adherence to cornerstone components of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's Third Expert Panel Report.

Methods: Self-reported guideline agreement, self-efficacy, and adherence were assessed in allergists (n = 134) and pulmonologists (n = 99) in the 2012 National Asthma Survey of Physicians.

Pharmacogenomic associations of adverse drug reactions in asthma: systematic review and research prioritisation.

A systematic review of pharmacogenomic studies capturing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) related to asthma medications was undertaken, and a survey of Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma (PiCA) consortia members was conducted. Studies were eligible if genetic polymorphisms were compared with suspected ADR(s) in a patient with asthma, as either a primary or secondary outcome. Five studies met the inclusion criteria.

Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies CRISPLD2 as a Lung Function Gene in Children With Asthma.

Background: Asthma is a common respiratory disorder with a highly heterogeneous nature that remains poorly understood. The objective was to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) data to identify regions of common genetic variation contributing to lung function in individuals with a diagnosis of asthma.

Methods: WGS data were generated for 1,053 individuals from trios and extended pedigrees participating in the family-based Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica study.

A School Nurse-Led Asthma Program Reduces Absences: Evaluation of Easy Breathing for Schools.

Objective: To evaluate whether school nurses can assist pediatricians in providing asthma care and reduce school absenteeism through a program called Easy Breathing for Schools (EzBfS), a 5-element school nurse-led asthma management program and the effectiveness in reducing school absenteeism.

Methods: Fifteen public school nurses in an urban community implemented EzBfS during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Program elements included assessment of asthma risk and asthma control, asthma education, medication review, and a pediatrician communication tool.

T-Cell Receptor Excision Circles in Newborns with Congenital Heart Disease.

Objectives: To determine if children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have lower newborn T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) levels than the general population and to evaluate if low TREC levels in newborns with CHD are associated with clinical complications such as hospitalization for infection.

Study Design: The Connecticut Newborn Screening Program reported TREC levels for newborns with CHD delivered between October 2011 and September 2016 at 2 major Connecticut children's hospitals. TREC levels for children with CHD were compared with the general population.

Impact of daily soft-tissue image guidance to prostate on pelvic lymph node (PLN) irradiation for prostate patients receiving SBRT.

Purpose: To determine the impact of using fiducial match for daily image-guidance on pelvic lymph node (PLN) coverage for prostate cancer patients receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: Thirty patients underwent SBRT treatment to the prostate and PLN from 2014 to 2016. Each patient received either 800cGy × 5 or 500cGy × 5 to the prostate and 500cGy × 5 to the PLN.

Hair cortisol, perceived stress, and social support in mother-child dyads living in an urban neighborhood.

Women and children belonging to a racial/ethnic minority bear a disproportionate burden of psychosocial stress that increases their vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. Hair cortisol has been rapidly advanced as a biomarker of the intensity and course of the stress response over time and may provide an opportunity to increase our understanding of the role of psychological stress in health. However, research on the link between hair cortisol levels and subjective measures of maternal and child stress among low-income and minority individuals is limited.

Controversies in Pediatric Asthma.

Pediatric asthma, the most common chronic disease of childhood, remains a significant burden to the health care system. Although there are guidelines for the management of pediatric asthma, there remain several controversies about how best to manage asthma in the primary care setting, and how to prevent asthma exacerbations and subsequent emergency department visits and hospitalizations. In this article, we address four of these controversies: use of written asthma treatment plans, the role of long-acting beta-agonists, spirometry and peak flow measurements in disease management, and engagement of school nurses in the health care team.

Primary care clinician adherence with asthma guidelines: the National Asthma Survey of Physicians.

Although primary care clinicians provide >60% of U.S. asthma care, no nationally representative study has examined variation in adherence among primary care groups to four cornerstone domains of the Expert Panel Report-3 asthma guidelines: assessment/monitoring, patient education, environmental assessment, and medications.

Asthma management in school: parents' and school personnel perspectives.

Effective asthma management at school can help students with asthma stay healthy, learn better and participate fully during their school day. This study sought to understand school-based asthma care from the perspective of parents and school personnel to improve asthma care at school. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Hartford, CT.

Diffusion-weighted MRI of the lung at 3T evaluated using echo-planar-based and single-shot turbo spin-echo-based acquisition techniques for radiotherapy applications.

Purpose: To compare single-shot echo-planar (SS-EPI)-based and turbo spin-echo (SS-TSE)-based diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients and to characterize the distributions of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values generated by the two techniques.

Methods: Ten NSCLC patients were enrolled in a prospective IRB-approved study to compare and optimize DWI using EPI and TSE-based techniques for radiotherapy planning. The imaging protocol included axial T2w, EPI-based DWI and TSE-based DWI on a 3 T Philips scanner.

Building Bridges for Asthma Care Program: A School-Centered Program Connecting Schools, Families, and Community Health-Care Providers.

Asthma imposes tremendous burden on children, families, and society. Successful management requires coordinated care among children, families, health providers, and schools. Building Bridges for Asthma Care Program, a school-centered program to coordinate care for successful asthma management, was developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Building Bridges for Asthma Care: Reducing school absence for inner-city children with health disparities.

Background: Children with asthma are at increased risk for experiencing health and educational disparities because of increased school absence. School nurses are well positioned to support asthma management and improve school attendance.

Objective: We sought to implement and assess the effect of the Building Bridges for Asthma Care Program on improving school attendance and measures of asthma control.