Treatment Response among Asthmatics With & Without Reversible Airflow Limitation

Background: Asthma is a chronic airway disorder associated with variable airflow limitation that is triggered by different stimuli. We aim to determine the treatment outcomes (improvement of FEV1 and number of asthma exacerbations) associated with the presence of airflow reversibility.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, which included all adults diagnosed with asthma and performed a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia from January 2015 to December 2018. Smokers and patients with comorbidities that might affect the PFT were excluded. Exacerbations were defined as the need to use oral corticosteroids. A comparative analysis was done using the chi-square test.

Results: 154 subjects were included, of which 42 subjects had reversibility and 112 did not. Asthmatics with baseline reversible airflow limitations had significant worsening of FEV1 during follow-up, compared to those with no reversibility, with a mean difference of 19.96mL (P-value = 0.0206). There was no significant association between having reversibility and experiencing an asthma exacerbation (P-value 0.23).

Conclusion: Reversibility of airflow was associated with significant worsening of FEV1, without significant effect on exacerbations, during follow-up of asthmatic patients.

Author(s): Abdulgadir Attiah

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