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Table 2 Patient characteristics participating in the focus groups

From: Development of a tool to recognize small airways dysfunction in asthma (SADT)

 

In-depth interview group

Focus group

 

With SAD (n= 7)

Without SAD (n= 3)

 

With SAD (n= 6)

Without SAD (n= 5)

 
 

median

(range)

median

(range)

p-value

median

(range)

median

(range)

p-value

Age (years)

45

(25-73)

52

(20-63)

0.833

54

(25-73)

47

(36-51)

0.247

Gender (female/male)

5/2

 

2/1

 

1.000

5/1

 

4/1

 

1.000

BMI (kg/m2)

28

(23-39)

36

(32-38)

0.117

29

(23-52)

32

(24-38)

0.792

Smoking (current/ex/never%)

1/4/2

 

1/1/1

 

0.728

0/5/1

 

0/1/4

 

0.080

ICS (yes/no)

5/2

 

3/0

 

1.000

4/2

 

3/2

 

0.497

FEV1 (%predicted)

79

(66-104)

99

(94-123)

0.117

81

(76-88)

112

(97-127)

0.004

FEV1/FVC (%)

62

(52-73)

83

(81-89)

0.017

64

(52-77)

83

(80-88)

0.004

FEF50% (%predicted)

37

(23-62)

107

(89-115)

NA

40

(23-55)

114

(82-122)

NA

RV (%predicted)

120

(88-160)

72

(71-89)

0.033

120

(88-160)

88

(77-98)

0.017

IOS R20 (kPa/l/s)

0.39

(0.29-0.50)

0.33

(0.32-0.40)

0.517

0.39

(0.34-0.67)

0.38

(0.26-0.49)

0.429

IOS R5-R20 (kPa/l/s)

0.27

(0.10-0.44)

0.19

(0.11-0.25)

0.383

0.25

(0.14-0.29)

0.05

(0.01-0.08)

NA

IOS X5 (kPa/l/s)

-0.22

(-0.49;-0.12)

-0.23

(-0.26;-0.11)

1.000

-0.23

(-0.49;-0.22)

-0.07

(-0.12;-0.06)

0.004

PC20 methacholine# (mg/ml)

1.1

(0.1-6.4)

3.5

(1.3-23.9)

0.183

1.13

(0.14-5.55)

9.8

(2.8-20.9@)

0.017

ACQ (total score)

0.5

(0.0-1.5)

2.0

(0.0-2.2)

0.383

0.6

(0.0-1.3)

1.0

(0.3-2.2)

0.177

BHQ symptoms (score)

0.4

(0.0-2.5)

1.8

(0.3-3.1)

0.383

1.3

(0.0-2.7)

1.9

(1.3-2.7)

0.329

BHQ stimuli (score)

1.2

(0.0-4.3)

1.8

(0.0-4.3)

0.833

2.5

(0.1-3.8)

2.5

(0.9-4.1)

0.662

  1. @Patient with a PC20 20.9 mg/ml methacholine used 800 µg ICS. #Values were log transformed. Differences were tested with a non-parametric test. For ordinal variables differences were tested with the Fisher's Exact test or Chi-square test as appropriate.
  2. BMI= body mass index, ICS= inhaled corticosteroids, FEV1= Forced expiratory flow in one second, FVC= forced vital capacity, FEF50%= forced expiratory flow at 50% of the FVC, RV= residual volume, IOS= impulse oscillometry, R20: Resistance of the respiratory system at 20 Hertz, R5-R20: Difference between the resistance at 5Hz and 20Hz, X5= Reactance of the respiratory system at 5 Hertz, PC20= provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1, ACQ= Asthma Control Questionnaire, BHQ= Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness Questionnaire.