Christopher Licskai

Canadian Thoracic Society 2012 guideline update: Diagnosis and management of asthma in preschoolers, children and adults

BACKGROUND In 2010, the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) published a Consensus Summary for the diagnosis and management of asthma in children six years of age and older, and adults, including an updated Asthma Management Continuum. The CTS Asthma Clinical Assembly subsequently began a formal clinical practice guideline update process, focusing, in this first iteration, on topics of controversy and⁄or gaps in the previous guidelines. METHODS Four clinical questions were identified as a focus for the updated guideline: the role of noninvasive measurements of airway inflammation for the adjustment of anti-inflammatory therapy; the initiation of adjunct therapy to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for uncontrolled asthma; the role of a single inhaler of an ICS⁄long-acting beta(2)-agonist combination as a reliever, and as a reliever and a controller; and the escalation of controller medication for acute loss of asthma control as part of a self-management action plan. The expert panel followed an adaptation process to identify and appraise existing guidelines on the specified topics. In addition, literature searches were performed to identify relevant systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials. The panel formally assessed and graded the evidence, and made 34 recommendations. RESULTS The updated guideline recommendations outline a role for inclusion of assessment of sputum eosinophils, in addition to standard measures of asthma control, to guide adjustment of controller therapy in adults with moderate to severe asthma. Appraisal of the evidence regarding which adjunct controller therapy to add to ICS and at what ICS dose to begin adjunct therapy in children and adults with poor asthma control supported the 2010 CTS Consensus Summary recommendations. New recommendations for the adjustment of controller medication within written action plans are provided. Finally, priority areas for future research were identified. CONCLUSIONS The present clinical practice guideline is the first update of the CTS Asthma Guidelines following the Canadian Respiratory Guidelines Committees new guideline development process. Tools and strategies to support guideline implementation will be developed and the CTS will continue to regularly provide updates reflecting new evidence.

Canadian Thoracic Society Asthma Management Continuum – 2010 Consensus Summary for Children Six Years of Age and Over, and Adults

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE To integrate new evidence into the Canadian Asthma Management Continuum diagram, encompassing both pediatric and adult asthma. METHODS The Canadian Thoracic Society Asthma Committee members, comprised of experts in pediatric and adult respirology, allergy and immunology, emergency medicine, general pediatrics, family medicine, pharmacoepidemiology and evidence-based medicine, updated the continuum diagram, based primarily on the 2008 Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, and performed a focused review of literature pertaining to key aspects of asthma diagnosis and management in children six years of age and over, and adults. RESULTS In patients six years of age and over, management of asthma begins with establishing an accurate diagnosis, typically by supplementing medical history with objective measures of lung function. All patients and caregivers should receive self-management education, including a written action plan. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) remain the first-line controller therapy for all ages. When asthma is not controlled with a low dose of ICS, the literature supports the addition of long-acting beta2-agonists in adults, while the preferred approach in children is to increase the dose of ICS. Leukotriene receptor antagonists are acceptable as second-line monotherapy and as an alternative add-on therapy in both age groups. Antiimmunoglobulin E therapy may be of benefit in adults, and in children 12 years of age and over with difficult to control allergic asthma, despite high-dose ICS and at least one other controller. CONCLUSIONS The foundation of asthma management is establishing an accurate diagnosis based on objective measures (eg, spirometry) in individuals six years of age and over. Emphasis is placed on the similarities and differences between pediatric and adult asthma management approaches to achieve asthma control.

Progression from Asthma to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Is Air Pollution a Risk Factor

RATIONALE Individuals with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS), have more rapid decline in lung function, more frequent exacerbations, and poorer quality of life than those with asthma or COPD alone. Air pollution exposure is a known risk factor for asthma and COPD; however, its role in ACOS is not as well understood. OBJECTIVES To determine if individuals with asthma exposed to higher levels of air pollution have an increased risk of ACOS. METHODS Individuals who resided in Ontario, Canada, aged 18 years or older in 1996 with incident asthma between 1996 and 2009 who participated in the Canadian Community Health Survey were identified and followed until 2014 to determine the development of ACOS. Data on exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) were obtained from fixed monitoring sites. Associations between air pollutants and ACOS were evaluated using Cox regression models. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of the 6,040 adults with incident asthma who completed the Canadian Community Health Survey, 630 were identified as ACOS cases. Compared with those without ACOS, the ACOS population had later onset of asthma, higher proportion of mortality, and more frequent emergency department visits before COPD diagnosis. The adjusted hazard ratios of ACOS and cumulative exposures to PM2.5 (per 10 μg/m(3)) and O3 (per 10 ppb) were 2.78 (95% confidence interval, 1.62-4.78) and 1.31 (95% confidence interval, 0.71-2.39), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Individuals exposed to higher levels of air pollution had nearly threefold greater odds of developing ACOS. Minimizing exposure to high levels of air pollution may decrease the risk of ACOS.

Canadian Thoracic Society 2012 Guideline Update: Diagnosis and Management of Asthma in Preschoolers, Children and Adults: Executive Summary

BACKGROUND: In 2010, the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) published a Consensus Summary for the diagnosis and management of asthma in children six years of age and older, and adults, including an updated Asthma Management Continuum. The CTS Asthma Clinical Assembly subsequently began a formal clinical practice guideline update process, focusing, in this first iteration, on topics of controversy and/or gaps in the previous guidelines.

Development and pilot testing of a mobile health solution for asthma self-management: asthma action plan smartphone application pilot study.

BACKGROUND Collaborative self-management is a core recommendation of national asthma guidelines; the written action plan is the knowledge tool that supports this objective. Mobile health technologies have the potential to enhance the effectiveness of the action plan as a knowledge translation tool. OBJECTIVE To design, develop and pilot a mobile health system to support asthma self-management. METHODS The present study was a prospective, single-centre, nonrandomized, pilot preintervention-postintervention analysis. System design and development were guided by an expert steering committee. The network included an agnostic web browser-based asthma action plan smartphone application (SPA). Subjects securely transmitted symptoms and peak flow data daily, and received automated control assessment, treatment advice and environmental alerts. RESULTS Twenty-two adult subjects (mean age 47 years, 82% women) completed the study. Biophysical data were received on 84% of subject days (subject day = 1 subject × 1 day). Subjects viewed their action plan current zone of control on 54% and current air quality on 61% of subject days, 86% followed self-management advice and 50% acted to reduce exposure risks. A large majority affirmed ease of use, clarity and timeliness, and 95% desired SPA use after the study. At baseline, 91% had at least one symptom criterion for uncontrolled asthma and 64% had ≥2, compared with 45% (P=0.006) and 27% (P=0.022) at study close. Mean Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score improved from 4.3 to 4.8 (P=0.047). CONCLUSIONS A dynamic, real-time, interactive, mobile health system with an integrated asthma action plan SPA can support knowledge translation at the patient and provider levels.

Using a knowledge translation framework to implement asthma clinical practice guidelines in primary care

Quality problem International guidelines establish evidence-based standards for asthma care; however, recommendations are often not implemented and many patients do not meet control targets. Initial assessment Regional pilot data demonstrated a knowledge-to-practice gap. Choice of solutions We engineered health system change in a multi-step approach described by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research knowledge translation framework. Implementation Knowledge translation occurred at multiple levels: patient, practice and local health system. A regional administrative infrastructure and inter-disciplinary care teams were developed. The key project deliverable was a guideline-based interdisciplinary asthma management program. Six community organizations, 33 primary care physicians and 519 patients participated. The program operating cost was

Asthma Deaths in a Large Provincial Health System. A 10-Year Population-Based Study

290/patient. Evaluation Six guideline-based care elements were implemented, including spirometry measurement, asthma controller therapy, a written self-management action plan and general asthma education, including the inhaler device technique, role of medications and environmental control strategies in 93, 95, 86, 100, 97 and 87% of patients, respectively. Of the total patients 66% were adults, 61% were female, the mean age was 35.7 (SD = ±24.2) years. At baseline 42% had two or more symptoms beyond acceptable limits vs. 17% (P< 0.001) post-intervention; 71% reported urgent/emergent healthcare visits at baseline (2.94 visits/year) vs. 45% (1.45 visits/year) (P< 0.001); 39% reported absenteeism (5.0 days/year) vs. 19% (3.0 days/year) (P< 0.001). The mean follow-up interval was 22 (SD = ±7) months. Lessons learned A knowledge-translation framework can guide multi-level organizational change, facilitate asthma guideline implementation, and improve health outcomes in community primary care practices. Program costs are similar to those of diabetes programs. Program savings offset costs in a ratio of 2.1:1

Spirometry in Primary Care: An Analysis of Spirometry Test Quality in a Regional Primary Care Asthma Program

RATIONALE Individuals with asthma are more likely to die from chronic conditions than the general population. Measuring only mortality with asthma listed as the primary cause of death may lead to an underestimation of total asthma mortality. OBJECTIVES To examine mortality patterns in the asthma population over 10 years, including asthma as the primary cause of death (asthma-specific mortality) and asthma as a secondary, contributing cause of death (asthma-contributing mortality). METHODS Health administrative data from Ontario, Canada were used to identify mortality rates and cause of death in subjects 0 to 99 years of age. Mortality rates were calculated in the asthma and general population from 1999 to 2008. Total asthma mortality was estimated by adding rates of asthma-specific and asthma-contributing mortality for years 2003 to 2008. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Asthma-specific mortality rates per 100,000 asthma population decreased by 54.4% from 13.6 in 1999 to 6.2 in 2008. In 2008, the asthma population had higher all-cause mortality compared with the general population (rate ratio, 1.3), asthma-specific mortality rates were 60% higher among those in the lowest compared with highest socioeconomic status, and total asthma mortality was fourfold higher than asthma-specific mortality alone (21.6 vs. 5.4 per 100,000). CONCLUSIONS All-cause mortality rates have decreased substantially over the past decade. Compared with the general population, the asthma population has higher all-cause mortality and is more likely to die from comorbid conditions. Total asthma mortality was fourfold higher than asthma-specific mortality, highlighting the importance of comprehensive measurement approaches that include asthma-specific and asthma-contributing mortality.

Hyperpolarized 3He Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Bronchoscopic Airway Bypass in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

BACKGROUND Primary care office spirometry can improve access to testing and concordance between clinical practice and asthma guidelines. Compliance with test quality standards is essential to implementation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of spirometry performed onsite in a regional primary care asthma program (RAP) by health care professionals with limited training. METHODS Asthma educators were trained to perform spirometry during two 2 h workshops and supervised during up to six patient encounters. Quality was analyzed using American Thoracic Society (ATS) 1994 and ATS⁄European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2003 (ATS⁄ERS) standards. These results were compared with two regional reference sites: a primary care group practice (Family Medical Centre [FMC], Windsor, Ontario) and a teaching hospital pulmonary function laboratory (London Health Sciences Centre [LHSC], London, Ontario). RESULTS A total of 12,815 flow-volume loops (FVL) were evaluated: RAP - 1606 FVL in 472 patient sessions; reference sites - FMC 4013 FVL in 573 sessions; and LHSC - 7196 in 1151 sessions. RAP: There were three acceptable FVL in 392 of 472 (83%) sessions, two reproducible FVL according to ATS criteria in 428 of 469 (91%) sessions, and 395 of 469 (84%) according to ATS⁄ERS criteria. All quality criteria - minimum of three acceptable and two reproducible FVL according to ATS criteria in 361 of 472 (77%) sessions and according to ATS⁄ERS criteria in 337 of 472 (71%) sessions. RAP met ATS criteria more often than the FMC (388 of 573 [68%]); however, less often than LHSC (1050 of 1151 [91%]; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Health care providers with limited training and experience operating within a simple quality program achieved ATS⁄ERS quality spirometry in the majority of sessions in a primary care setting. The quality performance approached pulmonary function laboratory standards.

Comparison of Asthma Control Criteria: Importance of Spirometry

A 73-year-old exsmoker with Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage III chronic obstructive pulmonary disease underwent airway bypass (AB) as part of the Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema (EASE) trial, and was the only EASE subject to undergo hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of lung function pre- and post-AB. 3He magnetic resonance imaging was acquired twice previously (32 and eight months pre-AB) and twice post-AB (six and 12 months post-AB). Six months post-AB, his increase in forced vital capacity was <12% predicted, and he was classified as an AB nonresponder. However, post-AB, he also demonstrated improvements in quality of life scores, 6 min walk distance and improvements in 3He gas distribution in the regions of stent placement. Given the complex relationship between well-established pulmonary function and quality of life measurements, the present case provides evidence of the value-added information functional imaging may provide in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease interventional studies.