[Differences in severity and comorbidity of panic and depressive symptoms in difficult and aspirin-induced asthma].
OBJECTIVE
The author examined psychiatrically a group of 106 patients with difficult asthma and 100 patients with aspirin-induced asthma.


METHODS
106 consecutive adults with confirmed, physician-diagnosed difficult asthma and 100 patients with aspirin-induced asthma underwent a psychiatric interview and assessment using M.I.N.I 5.0, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Panic And Agoraphobia Scale (PAS). Psychiatric assessment was performed by an experienced liaison psychiatrist according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV diagnosis. In the difficult asthma group there were 78 women (74%) and 28 men (26%). The average age was 51.3 (SD = 14.5) for women and 47.5 (SD = 12.7) for men. In aspirin induced asthma group there were 66 women (66%) and 34 men (34%). The average age was 52.7 (SD = 12.3) for women and 48.8 (SD = 13.0) for men.


RESULTS
In difficult asthma both panic and depressive symptoms were statistically much more severe than in aspirin-induced asthma. Comorbidity between panic and depressive symptoms was almost equal in women and men with difficult asthma, but in aspirin-induced asthma, comorbidity was more common among women than men. Panic-depression comorbidity is regarded as a predictor of especially severe course and outcome of psychiatric disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible that especially severe panic and depressive symptoms both with panic-depression comorbidity in women and men with difficult asthma have an impact on aethiology of this near-fatal and treatment resistant subtype of asthma.
Klinika Psychiatrii Doroslych Katedry Psychiatrii UJ CM.
Anna
A
Potoczek
D000328:Adult; D055963:Asthma, Aspirin-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult