title: The effects of bronchiectasis on asthma exacerbation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchiectasis and asthma are different in many respects, but some patients have both conditions. Studies assessing the effect of bronchiectasis on asthma exacerbation are rare. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bronchiectasis on asthma exacerbation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 2,270 asthma patients who were followed up in our hospital. Fifty patients had bronchiectasis and asthma. We selected fifty age- and sex-matched controls from the 2,220 asthma patients without bronchiectasis, and assessed asthma exacerbation and its severity based on the annual incidence of total asthma exacerbation, annual prevalence of steroid use, and frequency of emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbation in each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty patients (2.2%) had bronchiectasis and asthma. The annual incidence of asthma exacerbation was higher in patients with asthma and bronchiectasis than in patients with asthma alone (1.08±1.68 vs. 0.35±0.42, p=0.004). The annual prevalence of steroid use (0.9±1.54 vs. 0.26±0.36, p=0.006) and the frequency of emergency room visits (0.46±0.84 vs. 0.02±0.13, p=0.001) due to asthma exacerbation were also higher in patients with asthma and bronchiectasis than in patients with asthma alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bronchiectasis is associated with difficult asthma control.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Ran
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Gyu-Sik
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Junghoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yung Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung Hoon
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Asthma; Bronchiectasis; Disease Exacerbation