The goal of this observational study is to learn about the frequency needed for stepping-up treatment in patients with mild and moderate bronchial asthma. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * What is the frequency and duration in which patients of asthma need to step up their treatment? * Can the criteria described in this study be applied and validated to test need for step up of asthma treatment? Participants will follow the treatment they are already receiving according to established guidelines and will be asked for regular visits for examination and spirometry. They will record symptoms score, each time they use the prescribed rescu inhaler, and morning and evening peak expiratory flow.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
100
Security Forces Hospital Dammam
Dammam, Saudi Arabia
RECRUITINGAnnualized frequency of asthma step-up
Event in which the patient is considered eligible for step-up of asthma therapy. Any of the following is considered as asthma step-up: 1. Use of reliever medication once daily or more for successive 7 days. 2. Use of reliever medication for 2 times or more for successive 3 days. 3. Any severe exacerbation as per protocol definition. 4. Increase in weekly ACQ-5 score (with higher score means worse asthma control) by 0.5 or more points. 5. Persistent decrease in PEF by 20% or more from baseline for 3 days or more.
Time frame: 52 weeks
Annualized frequency of asthma step-down.
Event in which the patient is considered eligible for step-down of asthma therapy. All of the following is required for asthma step-down: 1. Use of reliever medications 2 times or less weekly for at least 4 successive weeks. 2. No severe exacerbation for 12 weeks or more. 3. ACQ-5 score of 0.5 or less persistently for 4 successive weeks or more. 4. PEF record with a variability of 10% or less for 4 successive weeks or more. 5. No previously recorded deterioration as per asthma step-up definition for 12 weeks or more.
Time frame: 52 weeks
Annualized rate of asthma severe exacerbation.
Continuous and/or abrupt worsening of asthma which require any of the following: 1. Hospitalization for asthma exacerbation. 2. ER visit with consequent administration of any form of systemic corticosteroids. 3. Prescription of OCS for ≥3 days. 4. Persistent decrease of PEF by 30% or more from baseline for 2 successive days or more.
Time frame: 52 weeks
Annualized rate of asthma control weeks.
Asthma control weeks is measured by asthma control questionnaire-5 (ACQ-5) weekly, with higher score means worse asthma control.
Time frame: 52 weeks
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