The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
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As optimal treatment and prognosis differ between asthma and COPD, a new diagnostic approach to differentiating between the two disorders would be clinically desirable. We evaluated the utility of vibration response imaging in differentiating between asthma and COPD. Sixty-six subjects with asthma or COPD were recorded, before and after the administration of a short-acting bronchodilator, using a computerized lung sound analysis device. ⋯ Combined analyses based on qualitative image evaluation and quantitative data demonstrated an overall 85% accuracy (84% for asthma, 86% for COPD) in differentiating between asthma and COPD. Combined qualitative and quantitative evaluations of lung sounds are quite sensitive in distinguishing between lung sound recordings of COPD and asthma individuals. Lung sound features of synchronization in timing and intensity provide objective data that may further differentiate these two airway disorders.
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It remains controversial whether environmental tobacco smoke increases the risk of allergic diseases. The present prospective cohort study examined whether in utero exposure to maternal smoking and postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke were associated with the development of wheeze, asthma, and atopic eczema in Japanese infants. ⋯ Our findings suggest that postnatal maternal smoking might be associated with an increased risk of wheeze in Japanese infants.
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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by airflow limitation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Lung density indices on quantitative computed tomography (QCT) are assumed to reflect the degree of air trapping originated from airflow limitation in airway diseases. ⋯ These results suggest that lung density indices on QCT may be useful for clinical evaluation of asthmatic patients and increased LAA% in the expiratory phase is associated with airflow limitation and airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effectiveness of high repeated doses of inhaled budesonide or fluticasone in controlling acute asthma exacerbations in young children.
The role of inhaled corticosteroids in the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in children is controversial. This study compared the effect of inhaled budesonide and inhaled fluticasone in controlling acute asthma exacerbations in young children at home. ⋯ Acute asthma exacerbations in young children can be effectively controlled at home with the use of high repetitive doses of inhaled budesonide or inhaled fluticasone, initially together with beta(2)-agonists, given at the beginning of the attack, for a period of 4-8 days.
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Asthma is a disease of air flow obstruction. Transmitted sounds can be analyzed in detail and may shed light upon the physiology of asthma and how it changes over time. The goals of this study were to use a computerized analytic acoustic tool to evaluate respiratory sound patterns in asthmatic patients during acute attacks and after clinical improvement and to compare asthmatic profiles with those of normal individuals. ⋯ Respiratory sound analysis demonstrated significant asynchrony between right and left lungs in asthma exacerbations, a finding which, to our knowledge, has never been reported to date. The asynchrony is significantly reduced with clinical improvement following treatment.