title: [Oral steroids effects on the respiratory muscles function in severe asthmatic patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies suggest that severe asthmatic patients under oral steroids show higher risk of myopathy induced by steroids. Nevertheless, no conclusive data exist about the prolonged oral steroid therapy effects on the res- piratory muscles function. We didn't found correlation between the severity of obs- truction (evaluated by FEV1), hyperinflation (residual volu- me- RV) and the muscle pressures in both groups. Also, there were no significant correlation between the G1 PImax and oral steroid accumulated dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a significant compromise of the res- piratory muscle function in the both studied groups with severe asthma. The oral steroid therapy caused no additional adverse effect in muscle respiratory function even after a prolon- ged treatment. The compromise of the muscle respiratory function foun- ded can be justified by the prolonged exposition to inhaled steroids. Key-words: Asthma, respiratory muscles, oral steroids.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Pneumologia do Hospital de Santa Marta (Director: Dra. Maria João Valente).
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borba
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guil
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naveso
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magro
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Olveira
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Semedo