[Asthma control status in Tunisia].
OBJECTIVE
Transversal study during hospital allergology visit which aim is to evaluate asthma control levels in Tunisia.


METHODS
Questionnaire issue of global initiative for asthma (GINA) guidelines.


RESULTS
400 asthmatics were included (70% of women and 30% men), aged 32 +/- 11 years old. Asthma was intermittent in 43% of patients, mild persistant (27%), moderate (14%) and severe in 16% of patients. Daytime symptoms were observed in 56% of cases, nocturnal symptoms in 40%, exacerbations in 39% of cases, activities limitation in 44% of cases and need of rescue treatment in 56%. Controller medications were used in 63% of patients. Inhaled Glucocorticosteroids were used in 90% of patients with persistent asthma. Subjective self evaluation of asthma showed that 83% of patients felled better with treatment, whereas, asthma objective control was obtained only in 10% of them. For the rest, asthma was partly controlled in 35% of patients and uncontrolled in 55%. College and professional absenteeism was observed in 60% of cases, with a mean of 1 to 5 days per month. Control factors seem to be young age, non smoker status and mild persistent asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
Although GINA 2006 guidelines and treatment progress, an important rate of asthmatics (90%) continue to present symptoms, underuse their treatment and overestimate control level of their disease.
Aissa
Imen
I
Service de Pneumo-Allergologie I, hôpital Abderrahman Mami, Ariana.
Gharsalli
Houda
H
Khattab
Amal
A
Driss
Leila
L
Ghedira
Habib
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014416:Tunisia
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents