title: Evaluation of diagnostic criteria for severe asthma described in a public health directive regulating the free distribution of medications for the maintenance treatment of asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the capacity of the criteria described in Complementary Directive SAS/MS 12, issued on November 12, 2002, to identify patients with severe asthma, describing and comparing clinical, functional and treatment data of such patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a nested case-control study using a structured database for adult asthma outpatients. We defined cases as asthma patients who met the inclusion criteria described in the directive, defining controls as those who did not. We collected and compared data related to the following: demographic characteristics; history of asthma; medications in use; comorbidities; history of tobacco use; number of exacerbations within the last 12 months, asthma-related hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions within the last 12 months; spirometry; and sputum cytology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The case and control groups consisted of 29 and 31 patients, respectively. The number of asthma exacerbations and emergence room visits within the last 12 months, as well as the number of patients that received at least one pulse of oral corticosteroids, was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. In addition, prebronchodilator FVC was lower among the cases than among the controls. Furthermore, cytology revealed that eosinophil counts were significantly higher in the induced sputum of cases than in that of controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The criteria described in the directive are suited to stratifying patients with severe asthma.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Pulmonology, Pulmonology Section of the Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Unifesp, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Amélia Carvalho da Silva
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Ana Luisa Godoy
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Mara Marta
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Patrícia Bueno
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Sonia Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Faresin
authors.forename: Ilka Lopes
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D001938:Brazil; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019819:Budesonide / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004804:Eosinophils; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000592:standards*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D019819:Budesonide