New asthma research presented at CHEST 2009

Zinc deficiency may play a role in the development of extrinsic or allergic asthma. Researchers from India evaluated serum zinc levels and absolute eosinophil count in 96 cases of asthma (61 patients had intrinsic asthma and 35 had extrinsic asthma). Patients who suffered from any comorbid illness were excluded from the study. Results showed that serum zinc levels in the extrinsic asthma group were significantly lower than in the intrinsic asthma group, but the difference in eosinophil count was not significant. Researchers conclude that additional studies are needed to reach a definite conclusion.

Air Pollution Major Factor in Fresno Health

(#8164, Tuesday, November 3, 3:45 PM ET)

Air pollution is a major health risk for patients in Fresno, CA, who suffer from chronic lung diseases. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno compared the weekly rates of those admitted to the ER with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with air pollution indices for corresponding weeks. There were 1,184 ER visits in total, predominantly by female patients (60 percent). Of the total ER visits, 932 (79 percent) patients were admitted and 24 (2.0 percent) were ICU admissions. Results showed that an increased ambient particulate matter 2.5 (PM-2.5) level was associated with an increase in weekly ER visits; however, there was no association between ambient ozone level and weekly ER visits from respiratory illness. Researchers conclude that air pollution, as measured by particulate matter, has a greater impact on patients with chronic airway disease than ambient ozone level.

Electrical Stimulation May Help in Acute Asthma Situations

(#8161, Tuesday, November 3, 3:45 PM ET)

Patients with acute asthma who have failed conventional asthma therapy may benefit from electrical stimulation as a means to induce bronchodilation. Researchers from five US institutions, including Rush University Medical Center in Illinois and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Maryland, assessed the outcomes of percutaneous electrical stimulation on four adult patients with moderately severe asthma who had failed conventional pharmacologic therapy. The minimally invasive procedure was conducted in fully conscious and responsive patients using local anesthesia at the insertion site. Treatment consisted of up to 180 minutes of continuous electrical stimulation at 25 Hz and a 200-ms pulse width at an amplitude ranging between 1 and 12 volts. During treatment, the % predicted FEV1 increased from 59.5±4.7 to 68.3±5.2 at 30 minutes and reached a mean peak of 75.2±5.5 (p=0.004) during the study. After completing treatment, the FEV1 remained elevated for 30 minutes. Researchers conclude that electrical stimulation may provide a nonpharmacologic- and nonairflow-dependent bronchodilation treatment for use in critical care settings.