Table 2.
Variable on asthma patients in 1 course and 2 courses.
| Variable | 1st baseline | 1st posttreatment | 2nd baseline | 2nd posttreatment | 1st posttreatment versus 1st baseline (95% CI)/P value |
2nd posttreatment versus 1st baseline (95% CI)/P value |
2nd posttreatment versus 1st posttreatment (95% CI)/P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asthma-related symptoms—number of daysa | 8.44 ± 0.99 | 1.98 ± 0.99 | 6.94 ± 0.99 | 5.03 ± 0.99 | −6.46 (−9.21 to −3.72)### | −3.41 (−6.16 to −0.67)# | 3.05 (0.30 to 5.80)# |
| Lung function | |||||||
| FEV | 1.86 ± 0.09 | 2.01 ± 0.09 |
1.80 ± 0.09 | 1.76 ± 0.09 | 0.15 (−0.11 to 0.40) | −0.10 (−0.36 to 0.15) | −0.25 (−0.51 to 0.003) |
| FEV1:FVC × 100 | 85.24 ± 1.87 | 84.72 ± 1.87 | 81.89 ± 1.87 | 84.56 ± 1.50 | −0.52 (−5.70 to 4.67) | −0.68 (−5.86 to 4.51) | −0.16 (−5.35 to 5.03) |
| Symptoms which frequently appeared in asthma patients—number of symptomsb | 8.20 ± 0.41 | 2.93 ± 0.41 | 7.88 ± 0.41 | 4.31 ± 0.41 | −5.27 (−6.40 to −4.13)### | −3.88 (−0.50 to −2.75)### | 1.38 (0.25 to 2.51)# |
| Asthma-related health care use—number (%) | |||||||
| ≥1 Admitted to A and Ec | 23 (23) | 1 (1) | 16 (16) | 6 (6) | 0.000### | 0.000### | 0.054 |
| ≥1 Hospitalization | 19 (19) | 0 (0) | 11 (11) | 2 (2) | 0.000### | 0.000### | 0.153 |
| ≥1 outpatient visit | 60 (59) | 9 (9) | 52 (51) | 50 (49) | 0.000### | 0.000### | 0.000### |
| ≥1 Prescription | 72 (71) | 61 (60) | 79 (77) | 70 (69) | 0.066 | 0.758 | 0.102 |
| ≥1 Buy medication | 11 (11) | 1 (1) | 13 (13) | 8 (8) | 0.001## | 0.437 | 0.006## |
| ≥1 Not to be processed | 10 (10) | 2 (2) | 15 (15) | 10 (10) | 0.018# | 1.000 | 0.018# |
# P < 0.05; ## P < 0.01; ### P < 0.001.
aPlus-minus values are means ± SE, unless noted otherwise. PIF denotes peak inspiratory flow; PEF: peak expiratory flow; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC: forced vital capacity.
bThe total number of symptoms which frequently appeared in asthma patients is 23 and its scale ranges from 0 to 23.
cAccident and Emergency Departments (A and E).