Vivian Herrera

Children and Adults With Frequent Hospitalizations for Asthma Exacerbation, 2012-2013: A Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND Earlier studies reported that many patients were frequently hospitalized for asthma exacerbation. However, there have been no recent multicenter studies to characterize this patient population with high morbidity and health care utilization. OBJECTIVE To examine the proportion and characteristics of children and adults with frequent hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation. METHODS A multicenter chart review study of patients aged 2 to 54 years who were hospitalized for asthma exacerbation at 1 of 25 hospitals across 18 US states during the period 2012 to 2013 was carried out. The primary outcome was frequency of hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation in the past year (including the index hospitalization). RESULTS The cohort included 369 children (aged 2-17 years) and 555 adults (aged 18-54 years) hospitalized for asthma exacerbation. Over the 12-month period, 36% of the children and 42% of the adults had 2 or more (frequent) hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation. Among patients with frequent hospitalizations, guideline-recommended outpatient management was suboptimal. For example, among adults, 32% were not on inhaled corticosteroids at the time of index hospitalization and 75% had no evidence of a previous evaluation by an asthma specialist. At hospital discharge, among adults with frequent hospitalizations who had used no controller medications previously, 37% were not prescribed inhaled corticosteroids. Likewise, during a 3-month postdischarge period, 64% of the adults with frequent hospitalizations were not referred to an asthma specialist. Although the proportion of patients who did not receive these guideline-recommended outpatient care appeared higher in adults, these preventive measures were still underutilized in children; for example, 38% of the children with frequent hospitalizations were not referred to asthma specialist after the index hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS This multicenter study of US patients hospitalized with asthma exacerbation demonstrated a disturbingly high proportion of patients with frequent hospitalizations and ongoing evidence of suboptimal longitudinal asthma care.

Statin use in asthmatics on inhaled corticosteroids is associated with decreased risk of emergency department visits.

Abstract Objective: Statins are hypothesized to have beneficial effects in asthma management through their pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effects. Several studies have examined this relationship, but have yielded conflicting results. This study investigates the effect of statin use on asthma-related hospitalizations and/or emergency department (ED) visits, and whether this relationship varies by concomitant inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in a large cohort of asthma patients. Methods: Subjects with asthma, a recent history of asthma exacerbation, and who were 18 years or older were selected from the population-based Medco Health Solutions administrative database over a 1 year period. Prescription claims for statins and asthma medications, and asthma-related hospitalizations and/or ED visits were ascertained over a 12 month follow-up period. Subjects were stratified into two groups based on their ICS use. Results: A total of 3747 ICS users and 2905 non-ICS users were included in this study. Statin users represented 21% of ICS users and 11% of non-users. Among ICS users, statin use was significantly associated with decreased odds of asthma-related ED visits (OR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.64–0.94, p = 0.008), but not with asthma-related hospitalizations (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.92–1.30, p = 0.31). No significant associations were found among non-ICS users (for asthma-related ED visits: OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.57–1.49, p = 0.73; asthma-related hospitalizations: OR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.85–1.41, p = 0.48). The statistical interactions between ICS and statin use on asthma-related hospitalizations and/or ED visits were not significant. Conclusion: Statin use is associated with fewer ED visits in asthma patients who are using ICS.

Healthcare Resource Use and Direct Costs in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis in a Large US Cohort

Objective. Direct costs of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have not been well characterized in the United States. This study assessed healthcare resource use and direct cost of AS and PsA, and identified predictors of all-cause medical and pharmacy costs. Methods. Adults aged ≥ 18 with a diagnosis of AS and PsA were identified in the MarketScan databases between October 1, 2011, and September 30, 2012. Patients were continuously enrolled with medical and pharmacy benefits for 12 months before and after the index date (first diagnosis). Baseline demographics and comorbidities were identified. Direct costs included hospitalizations, emergency room and office visits, and pharmacy costs. Multivariable regression was used to determine whether baseline covariates were associated with direct costs. Results. Patients with AS were younger and mostly men compared with patients with PsA. Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were the most common comorbidities in both cohorts. A higher percentage of patients with PsA used biologics and nonbiologic disease-modifying drugs (61.1% and 52.4%, respectively) compared with patients with AS (52.5% and 21.8%, respectively). Office visits were the most commonly used resource by patients with AS and PsA (∼11 visits). Annual direct medical costs [all US dollars, mean (SD)] for patients with AS and PsA were

Underuse of guideline-recommended long-term asthma management in children hospitalized to the intensive care unit: a multicenter observational study

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Clinical Characteristics, Disease Activity, and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients With Dactylitis or Enthesitis: Results From the Corrona Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondyloarthritis Registry

32,982) and

Secukinumab provides better relief from the impact of psoriasis on daily activities and personal relationships than etanercept: results of two phase 3 placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials in moderate-to-severe psoriasis

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Association of Guideline‐concordant Acute Asthma Care in the Emergency Department With Shorter Hospital Length of Stay: A Multicenter Observational Study

22,258), respectively. Prescription drug costs were higher for patients with PsA [

Clinical and Patient-reported Outcomes in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) by Body Surface Area Affected by Psoriasis: Results from the Corrona PsA/Spondyloarthritis Registry

14,174 (

Real-World Adherence and Persistence to Oral Disease-Modifying Therapies in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Over 1 Year

15,821)] compared with patients with AS [

Assessing the overall benefit of a medication: cumulative benefit of secukinumab over time in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

11,214 (