Table 5.
Impact of ICS inhaler device switch: outcome measures for switched vs. control patients during the year after the switch
| Outcome Measure | Switched Cohort (n = 824) |
Control Cohort (n = 824) |
p Value For Comparison | |
| Oral corticosteroid courses/yr, n (%) | 0 | 698 (85%) | 721 (88%) | 0.197† |
| 1 | 80 (10%) | 65 (8%) | ||
| 2 | 23 (3%) | 12 (1%) | ||
| 3–11 | 23 (3%) | 26 (3%) | ||
| Hospitalized for asthma, n (%) | 3 (0.04%) | 14 (1.70%) | NS | |
| SABA daily dose,* median (IQR) | 0.82 (0.27–2.19) | 0.55 (0–1.64) | <0.001 § | |
| Asthma consultation rate, n (%) | 0 | 569 (69%) | 514 (62%) | 0.135† |
| 1 | 155 (19%) | 177 (21%) | ||
| ≥ 2 | 100 (12%) | 133 (16%) |
ICS = inhaled corticosteroid; IQR = interquartile range; NS = not significant; SABA = short-acting β-agonist
*One dose of SABA was defined as salbutamol 200 μg or terbutaline 500 μg.
†χ2 test, §Mann-Whitney