Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38184317›Full record

ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2024

Adherence to application technique of inhaled corticosteroid in patients with asthma and COVID-19 improves outcomes.

Aleš Tichopád, Jan Žigmond, Miloš Jeseňák, Ivan Solovič, Katarína Breciková, Marian Rybář, Martin Rožánek, Vratislav Sedlák

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Optimizing adherence to medication to improve outcomes in asthma.Current opinion in pulmonary medicine · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Aleš TichopádDepartment of Biomedical Technology, Czech Technical University in Prague Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Kladno, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-1308-0877
Jan ŽigmondDepartment of Biomedical Technology, Czech Technical University in Prague Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Kladno, Czech Republic.
Miloš JeseňákDepartment of Pulmonology and Phthisiology, Comenius University in Bratislava Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Martin, Slovakia.
Ivan SolovičNational Institute of Tuberculosis, Lung Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Vyšné Hágy, Slovakia, Vyšné Hágy, Slovakia, Vyšné Hágy, Slovakia.
Katarína BrecikováCEEOR spol. s.r.o, Prague, Czech Republic.
Marian RybářDepartment of Biomedical Technology, Czech Technical University in Prague Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Kladno, Czech Republic.
Martin RožánekDepartment of Biomedical Technology, Czech Technical University in Prague Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Kladno, Czech Republic.
Vratislav SedlákDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Fakultní Nemocnice Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic vratislav.sedlak@fnhk.cz.
Czech Technical University in Prague · CZCatholic University in Ruzomberok · SKComenius University Bratislava · SKUniversity Hospital Hradec Králové · CZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInhaled corticosteroids have been widely reported as a preventive measure against the development of severe forms of COVID-19 not only in patients with asthma.

methodsIn 654 Czech and Slovak patients with asthma who developed COVID-19, we investigated whether the correct use of inhaler containing corticosteroids was associated with a less severe course of COVID-19 and whether this had an impact on the need for hospitalisation, measurable lung functions and quality of life (QoL).

resultsOf the studied cohort 51.4% had moderate persistent, 29.9% mild persistent and 7.2% severe persistent asthma. We found a significant adverse effect of poor inhaler adherence on COVID-19 severity (p=0.049). We also observed a lower hospitalisation rate in patients adequately taking the inhaler with OR of 0.83. Vital capacity and forced expiratory lung volume deterioration caused by COVID-19 were significantly reversed, by approximately twofold to threefold, in individuals who inhaled correctly.

conclusionHigher quality of inhalation technique of corticosteroids measured by adherence to an inhaled medication application technique (A-AppIT) score had a significant positive effect on reversal of the vital capacity and forced expiratory lung volume in 1 s worsening (p=0.027 and p<0.0001, respectively) due to COVID-19. Scoring higher in the A-AppIT was also associated with significantly improved QoL. All measured variables concordantly and without exception showed a positive improvement in response to better adherence. We suggest that corticosteroids provide protection against the worsening of lungs in patients with COVID-19 and that correct and easily assessable adherence to corticosteroids with appropriate inhalation technique play an important role in preventing severe form of COVID-19.

Indexed as

AsthmaCOVID-19Adrenal Cortex HormonesForced Expiratory VolumeHumansQuality of LifeAdrenal Cortex HormonesAsthmaAsthma EpidemiologyAsthma GuidelinesCOVID-19InflammationInhaler devicesRespiratory InfectionViral infection

Identifiers

PMID38184317
PMCPMC10773384
OpenAlexW4390698383

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.