title: Predicting worsening asthma control following the common cold.
abstract: The asthmatic response to the common cold is highly variable, and early characteristics that predict worsening of asthma control following a cold have not been identified. In this prospective multicentric cohort study of 413 adult subjects with asthma, the mini-Asthma Control Questionnaire (mini-ACQ) was used to quantify changes in asthma control and the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21 (WURSS-21) to measure cold severity. Univariate and multivariable models were used to examine demographic, physiological, serological and cold-related characteristics for their relationship to changes in asthma control following a cold. Clinically significant worsening of asthma control was observed following a cold (mean+/-SD increase in mini-ACQ score of 0.69+/-0.93). Univariate analysis demonstrated that season, centre location, cold duration and cold severity measurements were all associated with a change in asthma control. Multivariable analysis of the covariates available within the first 2 days of cold onset revealed that the day 2 and cumulative sum of day 1 and 2 WURSS-21 scores were significant predictors of the subsequent changes in asthma control. In asthmatic subjects, cold severity within the first 2 days can be used to predict subsequent changes in asthma control. This information may help clinicians prevent deterioration in asthma control following a cold.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Campus Box 8052, 660 South Euclid Ave., St Louis, MO 63110, USA. mwalter@im.wustl.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kunselman
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Chinchilli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reno
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Ramkumar
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Avila
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Boushey
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ameredes
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Bleecker
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Calhoun
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cherniack
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Denlinger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Fahy
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Jarjour
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lazarus
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Lemanske
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ramsdell
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sorkness
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Szefler
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wechsler