Assessment of severity measures for acute asthma outcomes: a first step in developing an asthma clinical prediction rule.

Objective: As a first step in the development of an asthma prediction rule, our primary objective was to assess the association of 8 candidate predictor variables with 2 clinically relevant asthma outcomes.

Methods: Among a cohort of 125 adults hospitalized with an asthma exacerbation, we examined models to identify clinical variables associated with length of stay (LOS) and clinically significant asthma exacerbations within 3 months after hospitalization (3-month exacerbation). Eight candidate predictor variables were chosen, including age, sex, race, pulsus paradoxus, prior endotracheal intubation for asthma, hospitalization within 5 years for asthma, and 2 chronic asthma severity scores.

Changes in urinary dinor dihydro F(2)-isoprostane metabolite concentrations, a marker of oxidative stress, during and following asthma exacerbations.

To investigate changes in oxidant stress during and following acute asthma exacerbations, this study measured 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F(2t)-IsoP (F(2)-IsoP-M), the major urinary metabolite of 15-F(2t)-IsoP, in eight asthmatic adults, during and following an asthma hospitalization. F(2)-IsoP-M concentrations at admission and follow-up were significantly higher than discharge (admission median: 4.12 ng/Cr mg, range 1.

Clinical measures associated with FEV1 in persons with asthma requiring hospital admission.

Objective: We sought to determine the association of select clinical measures of asthma severity with percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one-second (%FEV1).

Methods: We studied a prospective cohort of adult subjects (N = 129) with asthma exacerbations requiring hospital admission. Clinical data was acquired, including medical and social history, symptoms, vital signs, physical assessment, and spirometry.

The relationship of rhinovirus-associated asthma hospitalizations with inhaled corticosteroids and smoking.

Background: Although rhinovirus (RV) respiratory infections trigger asthma exacerbations, the etiologic association between this virus and severe exacerbations, as well as the clinical characteristics of adults at risk for RV-associated asthma that necessitates hospitalization, have not been established.

Methods: During 1999-2003, we conducted a cohort study of 101 adults prospectively enrolled at hospital admission for an asthma exacerbation. Patient characteristics and frequencies of RV in nasal specimens were analyzed, by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), at asthma-related hospital admission and at a 3-month convalescent follow-up visit.

Human metapneumovirus infection plays an etiologic role in acute asthma exacerbations requiring hospitalization in adults.

We determined the prevalence of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infection in adults with asthma who were prospectively enrolled after hospitalization for an acute asthma exacerbation. Nasal wash specimens collected at admission and 3 months after discharge were tested for hMPV by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. hMPV was detected in 7 (6.

CommLog: a communication log system for clinical trials.

Thanks to the advent of information technologies, the emergence of commercial products for electronic clinical trials has improved many aspects of conducting clinical trials. While there are many new options available to facilitate the collection of patient data, little advancements have been made in the way in which information generated from the coordination of a clinical trial is managed. The coordination of a clinical trial has proven to have a significant impact on the quality and economy of clinical trials.