Severe episodes continue their relentless pursuit

If exacerbations are operationally described as sudden severe episodes of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath, then:

• The majority of adults and adolescents with asthma (≥12 years of age, from survey of current asthma patients) (62%) have experienced them in the past year
• Nearly one-quarter of patients with asthma reported that they had experienced sudden severe episodes of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath either every day (6%), most days (5%), at least twice a week (9%), or once a week (4%) in the past 12 months

Asthma patients (≥12 years of age, from survey of current asthma patients) who reported that they had episodes in the past 12 months when their asthma symptoms were more frequent or more severe than normal were asked which symptoms were more frequent or severe during those episodes.

• Almost two-thirds of these patients (65%) said shortness of breath during the day was more frequent or more severe on these occasions
• Three out of five of these patients reported wheezing or whistling in the chest (60%) or chest tightness (60%) was more frequent or more severe than normal during these episodes
• Half reported coughing during the day (50%) was more frequent or severe, while nearly half (48%) reported being awakened at night by coughing was more frequent or more severe than normal during these episodes in the past year

Overall, there is relatively good agreement between doctors and patients about which asthma symptoms patients find most bothersome. Physicians were also asked their perception of which of these symptoms are most bothersome for their patients.

• Shortness of breath during the day was identified as the most bothersome symptom for their patients by most pulmonologists (72%), family practitioners (55%), and internists (70%), just as it was by patients

Patients (≥12 years of age, from survey of current asthma patients) who had an episode in the past year when asthma symptoms were more frequent or severe than normal were also asked how long these episodes lasted on average. Of these patients:

• Only a small proportion (11%) reported that these episodes lasted less than a day
• Most commonly, patients reported that these episodes lasted 1, 2, or 3 days (45%)

Reference Slides

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