title: Utility of Induced Sputum in Routine Clinical Practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the general and specific utility in diagnosis and/or treatment of induced sputum (IS) inflammatory cell counts in routine clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 171 patients referred for clinical sputum induction over a 1-year period in the pulmonology department of a referral hospital. Independent observers established whether the information provided by IS inflammatory cell count was useful for making diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent reasons for determination of IS inflammatory cell count were: asthma 103 (59.20%); uncontrolled asthma 34 (19.54%); chronic cough 19 (10.9%), and gastroesophageal reflux 15 (8.6%). In 115 patients (67.3%) it was generally useful for diagnosis and/or treatment; in 98 patients (57.3%) it provided diagnostic information and in 85 patients (49.7%) it assisted in therapeutic decision-making. In asthma, uncontrolled asthma, chronic cough and gastroesophageal reflux, the results were useful in 71.8%, 67.6%, 47.4% and 60%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The information provided by IS inflammatory cell count is extremely useful in clinical practice, especially in asthma and chronic cough. These results may justify the inclusion of the IS technique in pulmonology departments and asthma units of referral centers.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barril
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sebastián
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cotta
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Eder
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mateus
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torrejón
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ramos-Barbón
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Asma y Alergia, Servicio de Neumología, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: vplaza@santpau.cat.
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Plaza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D003371:Cough / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000473:pathology*; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic
keywords: Asma; Asthma; Clinical utility; Esputo inducido; Induced sputum; Utilidad clínica