NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine最新文献

In France, most spirometries are performed by pneumologists. Spirometry is difficult to access due to the distance to medical office and long delays for appointments. This lack of accessibility contributes to the underdiagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among patients aged between 40 and 75 years. In recent years, general practitioners (GPs) have been performing spirometry in private practice. However, the extent of this practice is unknown. A French retrospective, repetitive transversal study analysed data from the "Système National des Données de Santé" (SNDS) database. The targeted population was GPs in primary care that performed spirometries between 2010 and 2018, in patients aged between 40 and 75 years. Between 2010 and 2018, 302,674 (7.2%) spirometries were performed in France by GPs in private practices, in patients 40 to 75 years old. 5.4% by "expert GPs" (>60 spirometries/year) and 1.8% by "non-expert GPs". In "non-expert GPs" (2.8% of French GPs in 2018), the annual number of spirometries increased by 701 each year (p < 2.10⁴), the annual number of GPs performing spirometries increased by 114 each year (p < 2.10^-5). Overall, 24.9% of the spirometries performed by GPs were referrals from other GPs. The number of spirometries performed by GPs and the number of GPs performing spirometries has gradually increased over time. However, this increase is inadequate considering the need to early detect and follow up respiratory disorders.

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease among school-going adolescents worldwide. However, the burden of severe asthma is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of asthma care across six African countries. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. FGDs were conducted in Kumasi(Ghana), Blantyre (Malawi), Lagos (Nigeria), Durban (South Africa), Kampala (Uganda), and Harare (Zimbabwe) between 01 November 2020 and 30 June 2021. We identified two key themes related to asthma care; barriers to asthma care and suggestions to improve the care of adolescents with asthma. Barriers reported by teachers included a lack of knowledge and skills among themselves, adolescents, and caregivers. In addition, some traditional beliefs of teachers on asthma exacerbated challenges with asthma care in schools. Regarding suggestions, most teachers identified a need for all-inclusive asthma training programmes for teachers, adolescents and caregivers, focusing on acute episodes and mitigating triggers. Utilising teachers with personal experiences with asthma to advocate and support these initiatives was suggested. Further suggestions included the need for annual screening to enable early identification of adolescents with asthma and clarify restrictions on teachers administering asthma medications. Teachers across African schools identify multiple barriers to asthma care. Structured school education programs and annual asthma screening are key to addressing some barriers to care.

This cross-sectional study of 136 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) investigated the mechanism underlying overlap syndrome, defined as coexisting COPD and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA was defined as a respiratory event index (REI) ≥ 5 events/h, determined using type-3 portable monitors. The mean REI was 12.8 events/h. Most participants (60.1%) had mild OSA (REI: 5-15 events/h). The REI was positively correlated with forced expiratory volume in one second (%FEV₁) (r = 0.33, p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.24, p = 0.005), and fat-free mass index (r = 0.31, p = 0.005), and negatively correlated with residual volume divided by total lung capacity (r = -0.27, p = 0.003). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an optimal BMI cutoff of 21.96 kg/m² for predicting moderate/severe OSA. A BMI ≥ 21.96 kg/m² was associated with OSA among participants with %FEV₁ ≥ 50%, but not those with %FEV₁ < 50%. This study revealed an interaction between airflow limitation and hyperinflation, nutritional status, and OSA.

Chronic comorbid conditions are common in adults with asthma, and some may influence a patient's asthma exacerbation risk. We explored associations between eighteen chronic comorbid conditions and asthma exacerbation occurrence in adults with asthma in a cross-sectional study nested within a cohort study using data from the two-yearly US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program. Data of 2387 adults with self-reported doctor-diagnosed current asthma from the 2007 to 2018 NHANES surveys were selected. Investigated chronic comorbidities were: angina pectoris; congestive heart failure; coronary heart disease; depression; diabetes mellitus; soft and hard drug use; gastroesophageal reflux; gout; history of heart attack; history of stroke; hypercholesterolemia; hypertension; kidney failure; liver conditions; obesity; rheumatoid arthritis; and thyroid problems. Outcome was defined as asthma exacerbation category: no, moderate, or severe exacerbation(s) in the past year. Ordinal logistic regression analysis with correction for potential confounders was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for moderate or severe exacerbations. Observed associations with increased severe asthma exacerbation occurrence were: obesity (OR = 1.67; 95% confidence interval 1.24, 2.26), and rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 1.55; 1.04, 2.30). History of stroke (OR = 1.95; 1.22, 3.11) and rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 1.33; 1.00, 1.75) showed associations with increased moderate exacerbation occurrence. Age-stratified analysis showed soft drug use, obesity, depression, thyroid problems, and rheumatoid arthritis to be associated with moderate and/or severe exacerbation occurrence in one or more 10-year age strata. In conclusion, several chronic comorbid conditions were associated with asthma exacerbation occurrence, which confirms but also complements previous studies. Our observations contribute to understanding exacerbation risk estimation and, ultimately, personalized asthma management.

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the mainstay of treatment for asthma, but their role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is debated. Recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in patients with COPD and frequent or severe exacerbations demonstrated a significant reduction (~25%) in exacerbations with ICS in combination with dual bronchodilator therapy (triple therapy). However, the suggestion of a mortality benefit associated with ICS in these trials has since been rejected by the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration. Observational evidence from routine clinical practice demonstrates that dual bronchodilation is associated with better clinical outcomes than triple therapy in a broad population of patients with COPD and infrequent exacerbations. This reinforces guideline recommendations that ICS-containing maintenance therapy should be reserved for patients with frequent or severe exacerbations and high blood eosinophils (~10% of the COPD population), or those with concomitant asthma. However, data from routine clinical practice indicate ICS overuse, with up to 50-80% of patients prescribed ICS. Prescription of ICS in patients not fulfilling guideline criteria puts patients at unnecessary risk of pneumonia and other long-term adverse events and also has cost implications, without any clear benefit in disease control. In this article, we review the benefits and risks of ICS use in COPD, drawing on evidence from RCTs and observational studies conducted in primary care. We also provide a practical guide to prescribing ICS, based on the latest global treatment guidelines, to help primary care providers identify patients for whom the benefits of ICS outweigh the risks.

Several questionnaires are used to measure asthma control in children. The most appropriate tool for use in primary care is not defined. In this systematic review, we evaluated questionnaires used to measure asthma control in children in primary care and determined their usefulness in asthma management. Searches were performed in the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases with end date 24 June 2022. The study population comprised children aged 5-18 years with asthma. Three reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed, using the COSMIN criteria for the measurement properties of health status questionnaires. Studies conducted in primary care were included if a minimum of two questionnaires were compared. Studies in secondary or tertiary care and studies of quality-of-life questionnaires were excluded. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Five publications were included: four observational studies and one sub-study of a randomized controlled trial. A total of 806 children were included (aged 5-18 years). We evaluated the Asthma Control Test (ACT), childhood Asthma Control Test (c-ACT), Asthma APGAR system, NAEPP criteria and Royal College of Physicians' '3 questions' (RCP3Q). These questionnaires assess different symptoms and domains. The quality of most of the studies was rated 'intermediate' or 'poor'. The majority of the evaluated questionnaires do not show substantial agreement with one another, which makes a comparison challenging. Based on the current review, we suggest that the Asthma APGAR system seems promising as a questionnaire for determining asthma control in children in primary care.