TABLE 3.
Descriptive statistics for study medication derived from information on inhalers
| Treatment | Patients, n | Inhalers, n (mean ± SD) | Inhalers, n (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of dispensed ICS inhalers | |||
| Budesonide-formoterol group* | 1062 | 12.7±6.0 | 12 |
| Salmeterol-fluticasone group* | 1069 | 11.6±3.9 | 12 |
| Total number of dispensed salbutamol inhalers | |||
| Budesonide-formoterol group† | 11 | 1.5±0.8 | 1 |
| Salmeterol-fluticasone group | 1055 | 5.0±5.9 | 3 |
| Total number of Ventodisk inhalations‡ | |||
| Budesonide-formoterol group† | 6 | 33.0±31.7 | 25 |
| Salmeterol-fluticasone group | 507 | 326.7±431.0 | 170 |
*
Data excluded patients who did not complete the trial or had missing data;
†
1% to 2% of budesonide-formoterol patients contravened the study protocol by also using salbutamol as reliever therapy;
‡
Each Ventodisk (GlaxoSmithKline Canada) inhalation is equal to 200 μg of salbutamol. ICS Inhaled corticosteroid