TY - JOUR
T1 - Real-life survey on severe asthma patients during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy
AU - Caruso, Cristiano
AU - Colantuono, Stefania
AU - Urbani, Sara
AU - Heffler, Enrico
AU - Canonica, Giorgio Walter
AU - Andriollo, Gloria
AU - Di Michele, Loreta
AU - Scarlata, Simone
AU - Zennaro, Danila
AU - Rigon, Amelia
AU - Vadacca, Marta
AU - Moroni, Rossana
AU - Nucera, Eleonora
AU - Gasbarrini, Antonio
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has deeply revolutionized our lives and consequently the management of patients, specifically ones with severe asthma.Objective: A survey was conducted to evaluate the effects on adherence, exacerbations and quality of life in patients with severe asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic period.Methods: 100 severe asthma patients, who accepted to participate to the survey, were asked to respond to different questionnaires in order to assess asthma symptoms (Asthma Control Test - ACT, and Asthma Control Quality - ACQ) and rino-sinusal ones (Sino-nasal outcome test - SNOT-22).Results: 31 out of 100 patients reported worsening of respiratory symptoms requiring a step-up in therapy dosage or frequency during the observational period; however, exacerbation rate was very low. Only 17 (17%) of the 100 participants experienced a severe asthma exacerbation. Moreover, there was no confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in this population.Conclusion: Patients with severe asthma did not show higher rates of exacerbations during the pandemic outbreak as well as no increased risk of contracting COVID-19 infection or developing the disease. Self-administration of biological drugs could be useful to maintain high rates of adherence to therapy, and, at the same time, to decrease the risk of exacerbations or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) room access.
AB - Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has deeply revolutionized our lives and consequently the management of patients, specifically ones with severe asthma.Objective: A survey was conducted to evaluate the effects on adherence, exacerbations and quality of life in patients with severe asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic period.Methods: 100 severe asthma patients, who accepted to participate to the survey, were asked to respond to different questionnaires in order to assess asthma symptoms (Asthma Control Test - ACT, and Asthma Control Quality - ACQ) and rino-sinusal ones (Sino-nasal outcome test - SNOT-22).Results: 31 out of 100 patients reported worsening of respiratory symptoms requiring a step-up in therapy dosage or frequency during the observational period; however, exacerbation rate was very low. Only 17 (17%) of the 100 participants experienced a severe asthma exacerbation. Moreover, there was no confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in this population.Conclusion: Patients with severe asthma did not show higher rates of exacerbations during the pandemic outbreak as well as no increased risk of contracting COVID-19 infection or developing the disease. Self-administration of biological drugs could be useful to maintain high rates of adherence to therapy, and, at the same time, to decrease the risk of exacerbations or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) room access.
KW - Adherence
KW - COVID-19
KW - biologicals
KW - pandemic
KW - real life
KW - severe asthma
KW - Adherence
KW - COVID-19
KW - biologicals
KW - pandemic
KW - real life
KW - severe asthma
UR - https://publicatt.unicatt.it/handle/10807/177959
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85105066391&origin=inward
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85105066391&origin=inward
U2 - 10.1080/17476348.2021.1917387
DO - 10.1080/17476348.2021.1917387
M3 - Article
SN - 1747-6348
SP - 1
EP - 4
JO - Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine
JF - Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine
IS - 25
ER -