Delayed diagnosis and associated factors among new pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed at the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Porto Alegre, South Brazil: a prospective patient recruitment study.

BACKGROUND: Control of tuberculosis (TB) depends on early diagnosis and treatment at the primary health care level. However, many patients are still diagnosed late with TB at hospitals. The present study aimed to investigate the delay in diagnosis of TB patients at the emergency department. METHODS: This was a prospective study in a general, tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital of a city with a high prevalence of TB in Brazil. New TB patients ≥ 14 years diagnosed with pulmonary TB at the emergency department of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were prospectively recruited between February 2010 and January 2012. The consenting patients meeting our inclusion criteria were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. We evaluated the delay in time until diagnosis and identified factors associated with delayed diagnosis (patient and health care system delays). RESULTS: We included 153 patients. The median total time of delay, patient delay, and health care system delay were 60 (interquartile range [IQR]: 30-90.5 days), 30 (lQR: 7-60 days), and 18 (IQR: 9-39.5 days) days, respectively. The factors that were independently associated with patient delay (time ≥ 30 days) were crack (odds ratio [OR] = 4.88, p = 0.043) and cocaine (OR = 6.68, p = 0.011) use. The factors that were independently associated with health care system delay (time ≥ 18 days) were weight loss (OR = 2.76, p = 0.025), miliary pattern (OR = 5.33, p = 0.032), and fibrotic changes (OR = 0.12, p = 0.013) on chest X-ray. CONCLUSIONS: Patient delay appears to be the main problem in this city with a high prevalence of TB in Brazil. The main factor associated with patient delay is drug abuse (crack and cocaine). Our study shows substance abuse programs need to be aware of control of TB, with health interventions focusing on TB education programs.

Asthma control and sputum eosinophils in adult patients: a cross-sectional study in southern Brazil.

Asthma control and health related quality of life are an important goal of asthma management, but their association with sputum eosinophilic inflammation has been less firmly established. To investigate the relationship of asthma control and quality of life with sputum eosinophils in clinical practice. Cross-sectional study with a convenience sample, including patients with asthma, aged between 18 and 65 years, attending to outpatient clinic. Patients underwent sputum induction, pulmonary function tests, Juniper's Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), Asthma Control Test (ACT), Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria for evaluation of asthma control and severity of the disease, blood count analysis, serum IgE and cutaneous prick test. Sputum sample was considered as eosinophilic if the percentage of eosinophils was ≥ 3%. A total of 45 individuals were enrolled, 15 with eosinophilic sputum (≥ 3% eosinophil cells) and 30 with non-eosinophilic sputum (< 3% eosinophil cells). There were no association of ACT an AQLQ scores with sputum eosinophilia (p > 0.05). This study suggested that the finding of sputum eosinophilia was not related to asthma control neither with health-related quality of life in patients with severe asthma.

Impact of impaired pulmonary function on clinical outcomes in survivors of severe COVID-19 without pre-existing respiratory disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of impaired pulmonary function on patient-centered outcomes after hospital discharge due to severe COVID-19 in patients without preexisting respiratory disease. METHODS: This is an ongoing prospective cohort study evaluating patients (> 18 years of age) 2-6 months after hospital discharge due to severe COVID-19. Respiratory symptoms, health-related quality of life, lung function, and the six-minute walk test were assessed. A restrictive ventilatory defect was defined as TLC below the lower limit of normal, as assessed by plethysmography. Chest CT scans performed during hospitalization were scored for the presence and extent of parenchymal abnormalities. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 17.2 ± 5.9 weeks after the diagnosis of COVID-19, 120 patients were assessed. Of those, 23 (19.2%) reported preexisting chronic respiratory diseases and presented with worse lung function and exertional dyspnea at the follow-up visit in comparison with their counterparts. When we excluded the 23 patients with preexisting respiratory disease plus another 2 patients without lung volume measurements, a restrictive ventilatory defect was observed in 42/95 patients (44%). This subgroup of patients (52.4% of whom were male; mean age, 53.9 ± 11.3 years) showed reduced resting gas exchange efficiency (DLCO), increased daily-life dyspnea, increased exertional dyspnea and oxygen desaturation, and reduced health-related quality of life in comparison with those without reduced TLC (50.9% of whom were male; mean age, 58.4 ± 11.3 years). Intensive care need and higher chest CT scores were associated with a subsequent restrictive ventilatory defect. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a restrictive ventilatory defect approximately 4 months after severe COVID-19 in patients without prior respiratory comorbidities implies worse clinical outcomes.

Brazilian guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of the pulmonary symptoms of cystic fibrosis. Official document of the Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisiologia (SBPT, Brazilian Thoracic Association).

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that results in dysfunction of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, which is a chloride and bicarbonate channel expressed in the apical portion of epithelial cells of various organs. Dysfunction of that protein results in diverse clinical manifestations, primarily involving the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, impairing quality of life and reducing life expectancy. Although CF is still an incurable pathology, the therapeutic and prognostic perspectives are now totally different and much more favorable. The purpose of these guidelines is to define evidence-based recommendations regarding the use of pharmacological agents in the treatment of the pulmonary symptoms of CF in Brazil. Questions in the Patients of interest, Intervention to be studied, Comparison of interventions, and Outcome of interest (PICO) format were employed to address aspects related to the use of modulators of this protein (ivacaftor, lumacaftor+ivacaftor, and tezacaftor+ivacaftor), use of dornase alfa, eradication therapy and chronic suppression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and eradication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Burkholderia cepacia complex. To formulate the PICO questions, a group of Brazilian specialists was assembled and a systematic review was carried out on the themes, with meta-analysis when applicable. The results obtained were analyzed in terms of the strength of the evidence compiled, the recommendations being devised by employing the GRADE approach. We believe that these guidelines represent a major advance to be incorporated into the approach to patients with CF, mainly aiming to favor the management of the disease, and could become an auxiliary tool in the definition of public policies related to CF.

Factors associated with delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis in hospitalized patients in a high TB and HIV burden setting: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The most essential components of TB control are early diagnosis and adequate treatment. Delay in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis may result in more extensive disease and more complications, increase severity of the disease and is associated with higher risk of mortality. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with delayed diagnosis of TB in hospitalized patients. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a general, tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital. Adult patients with TB that were hospitalized were identified retrospectively, and risk factors for delayed diagnosis were collected. RESULTS: The median delay until diagnosis was 6 days (IQR: 2-12 days). One hundred and sixty six (54.4%) patients were diagnosed ≤ 6 days, and 139 (45.6%) > 6 days after admission. The main factors associated with diagnostic delay (> 6 days) were extra-pulmonary TB and negative sputum smear. CONCLUSIONS: Although hospitalization permits a rapid management of the patient and favors a faster diagnosis, we found an unacceptable time delay before the diagnosis of pulmonary TB was made. Future studies should focus on attempt to explain the reasons of diagnostic retard in the patients with the characteristics related to delay in this study.

Predictive factors for premature birth and respiratory exacerbation in pregnancies of women with cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: In this present study, the authors evaluated the predictive factors for adverse maternal-fetal outcomes in pregnancies of women with cystic fibrosis (CF). Patients were followed up by a referral center for adults in southern Brazil. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study that used data from electronic medical records regarding pregnancies of women diagnosed with CF. RESULTS: The study included 39 pregnancies related to 20 different women. The main adverse outcomes were high prevalence rates of premature birth (38.5%) and maternal respiratory exacerbation (84.6%). Lower body mass index (BMI) values (< 20.8) and younger ages of CF diagnosis increased the risk of premature birth. The presence of methicillin-resistant and absence of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, as well as a younger age of diagnosis, increased the risk of maternal respiratory exacerbation during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Conception in women with CF is often associated with maternal and fetal complications. Continuous monitoring by a multidisciplinary team should emphasize appropriate nutritional status, investigation of bacterial colonization, and immediate attention to respiratory exacerbations.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of incident cases of COVID-19 in unvaccinated adult cystic fibrosis patients in southern Brazil: a prospective cohort study conducted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: There is still limited information on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with COVID-19 in Brazil. The objective of this study was to describe the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in CF patients, as well as their clinical characteristics and outcomes. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study involving unvaccinated adult CF patients and conducted during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the city of Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil. The clinical course of the disease was rated on the WHO Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement. The primary outcome was the number of incident cases of COVID-19. RESULTS: Between April 30, 2020 and April 29, 2021, 98 CF patients were included in the study. Seventeen patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. For the CF patients, the annual cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was 17.3%, similar to that for the general population, adjusted for age (18.5%). The most common symptoms at diagnosis of COVID-19 were cough (in 59%), dyspnea (in 53%), fatigue (in 53%), and fever (in 47%). Only 6 (35%) of the patients required hospitalization, and 3 (17.6%) required oxygen support. Only 1 patient required mechanical ventilation, having subsequently died. CONCLUSIONS: During the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in southern Brazil, the cumulative incidence rate of COVID-19 was similar between CF patients and the general population. More than 50% of the CF patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection had a mild clinical presentation, without the need for hospital admission, and almost the entire sample recovered completely from the infection, the exception being 1 patient who had advanced lung disease and who died.

Glucose intolerance in patients with cystic fibrosis: sex-based differences in clinical score, pulmonary function, radiograph score, and 6-minute walk test.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the sex-specific relationships between glucose intolerance and Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical score, lung function, Brasfield chest-radiograph score, and exercise capacity in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). METHODS: We used a cross-sectional study design and included CF patients ≥ 10 years old. All patients had clinical and nutritional evaluation, oral glucose tolerance test, spirometry, chest radiograph, and 6-min walk test (6MWT). Patients were classified as having normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose tolerance, or CF-related diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: We included 88 patients: 59 with normal glucose tolerance, 15 with impaired glucose tolerance, and 14 with CF-related diabetes. Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical score (P = .04), at-rest S(pO(2)) (P = .001), S(pO(2)) difference before versus after 6MWT (P = .001), and Brasfield chest-radiograph score (P = .01) were significantly lower in the impaired-glucose-tolerance group than in the normal-glucose-tolerance group, but did not differ from the CF-related-diabetes group. In female patients only, percent-of-predicted FEV(1) was significantly lower in the impaired-glucose-tolerance group than in the normal-glucose-tolerance group (P = .02), but did not differ from the CF-related-diabetes group (P = .10). There was a significant relationship between glucose intolerance and sex when clinical score, 6-min walk distance, FEV(1), and radiograph score were combined in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CF, glucose intolerance was associated with poor clinical score, lower at-rest S(pO(2)), greater S(pO(2)) difference before versus after 6MWT, poor lung function, and lower radiograph score. Overall, multivariate analysis indicated poorer performance in the latter variables in female patients with glucose intolerance than in male patients with glucose intolerance.

Clinical outcomes of cystic fibrosis patients with hemoptysis treated with bronchial artery embolization.

OBJECTIVE: Massive hemoptysis is one of the most serious complications in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study aimed to evaluate the hemoptysis-free period following bronchial and non-bronchial artery embolization (BAE/non-BAE) in CF patients and to investigate predictors of recurrent bleeding and mortality by any cause. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of CF patients ≥ 16 years of age undergoing BAE/non-BAE for hemoptysis between 2000 and 2017. RESULTS: We analyzed 39 hemoptysis episodes treated with BAE/non-BAE in 17 CF patients. Hemoptysis recurrence rate was 56.4%. Of the sample as a whole, 3 (17.6%) were hemoptysis-free during the study period, 2 (11.8%) underwent lung transplantation, and 3 (17.6%) died. The median hemoptysis-free period was 17 months. The median hemoptysis-free period was longer in patients with chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (31 months; 95% CI: 0.00-68.5) than in those without that type of infection (4 months; 95% CI: 1.8-6.2; p = 0.017). However, this association was considered weak, and its clinical significance was uncertain due to the small number of patients without that infection. CONCLUSIONS: BAE appears to be effective in the treatment of hemoptysis in patients with CF.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis: a consensus statement from the Brazilian Thoracic Association.

Early, accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis is one of the major pillars of the control of the disease. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide health professionals with the most current, useful evidence for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Brazil. To that end, the Tuberculosis Committee of the Brazilian Thoracic Association brought together 14 members of the Association with recognized expertise in tuberculosis in Brazil to compose the statement. A nonsystematic review of the following topics was carried out: clinical diagnosis, bacteriological diagnosis, radiological diagnosis, histopathological diagnosis, diagnosis of tuberculosis in children, and diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection.

Factors associated with mortality in hospitalized patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis.

The purpose of this study was to identify clinical and epidemiological factors associated with death in patients with an in-hospital diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), in a city with a high prevalence of TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The study was a retrospective, cohort study conducted at a general, tertiary-care, university-affiliated hospital. Patients who began treatment for TB after hospitalization were included. Predictors of mortality were assessed. The primary outcomes were the in-hospital mortality and the mortality after discharge. We evaluated the medical records of 311 patients with TB. The overall mortality rate of all study participants was 99/311 (31.8%). The mortality rates during hospitalization and after discharge were 50/311 (16.1%) and 49/261 (18.8%), respectively. Mechanical ventilation, consolidation in chest X-ray, and negative sputum smear were predictors of in-hospital death in multivariate analysis. Independent predictors of mortality after discharge in multivariate analysis included total duration of hospitalization and being a current smoker. We found a high overall mortality rate for patients hospitalized with TB in a region with a high prevalence of TB and HIV. The risk of mortality once patients with TB are hospitalized is unlikely to be explained only by the HIV epidemic.

Association between the radiological presentation and elapsed time for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the emergency department of a university hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the radiological presentation of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed in the emergency department and to investigate its association with the time to diagnosis. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study involving patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in the emergency department of a tertiary university hospital in southern Brazil. Chest X-rays taken on admission were evaluated by a radiologist. The various patterns of radiological findings and locations of the lesions were described. The main study outcome was the total time elapsed between the initial radiological examination and the diagnosis of tuberculosis. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients were included in the study. The median time from chest X-ray to diagnosis was 2 days, early and delayed diagnosis being defined as a time to diagnosis < 2 days and ≥ 2 days, respectively. Sputum smear positivity was associated with early diagnosis (p = 0.005), and positive culture was associated with delayed diagnosis (p = 0.005). Early diagnosis was associated with the presence of sputum (p = 0.03), weight loss (p = 0.047), cavitation (p = 0.001), and consolidation (p = 0.003). Pulmonary cavitation was found to be an independent predictor of early diagnosis (OR = 3.50; p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for tuberculosis-specific protocols in emergency departments, not only to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment but also to modify the transmission dynamics of the disease.

Dyspnea perception during the inspiratory resistive loads test in obese subjects waiting bariatric surgery.

Identification of low dyspnea perception is relevant, since this condition is significantly associated with worse outcomes. We investigated dyspnea perception during the inspiratory resistive loads test on obese subjects waiting bariatric surgery in comparison with normal subjects. Secondarily, we analysed the proportion of obese subjects with low, moderate and high dyspnea perception. This observational study included subjects with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2, compared to healthy subjects with BMI ≥ 18 and <25 kg/m2. Subject underwent clinical evaluation, inspiratory test with progressive resistive loads and spirometry. We studied 23 obese subjects (mean BMI = 51.9 ± 9.3 kg/m2) and 25 normal subjects (mean BMI = 24.3 ± 2.3 kg/m2). With the increase magnitude of resistive loads there was a significant increase in dyspnea score (p < 0.001) and progressive increase of the generated inspiratory pressure (p < 0.001), but there was no difference between the groups in terms of dyspnea score (p = 0.191) and no interaction effect (p = 0.372). Among the obese subjects, 4 individuals were classified as low perception, 11 as moderate and 8 as high. In conclusion, the degree of dyspnea perception during the inspiratory progressive resistive loads test did not differ between obese and normal subjects. Among obese subjects, only 17% were classified as low dyspnea perception.

[Management of acute asthma in adults in the emergency room: current evidence]. / Manejo da asma aguda em adultos na sala de emergência: evidências atuais.

Asthma is a disease with high prevalence in our country and worldwide. Although new therapeutic approaches have been developed recently, there seems to be a global increase in morbidity and mortality from asthma. In many institutions, asthma exacerbation is still a common medical emergency. Clinical evidence demonstrates that management of acute asthma in the emergency room entails crucial decisions that could determine the clinical outcome. In this review, the authors focus on assessment and treatment of patients with acute asthma and outline an appropriate management strategy. Diagnosis, severity assessment, treatment, complications, decision about where additional treatment will take place and orientations on discharge from the emergency will be considered. It is expected that these recommendations will help physicians to make the appropriate decisions about care of acute asthma in the emergency room.

Educational strategy intervention and remote supervision on the post-discharge management of tuberculosis diagnosed in the hospital: Randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most serious problems in TB control is non-adherence to treatment leading to the risk of drug resistance and subsequent treatment failure. OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of an educational strategy intervention and remote supervision on the post-discharge management of new cases of TB diagnosed in hospital on TB cure rate. Secondarily, to assess the impact of this intervention on default rate. METHODS: Randomized control trial conducted at a general, tertiary care, university affiliated hospital. New cases of TB diagnosed in hospital were included. The primary outcome was cure rate and secondary outcome was default rate. Analysis was carried out by modified intention to treat. RESULTS: A total of 169 new tuberculosis patients were enrolled. Among them, 80 were assigned to intervention group and 89 to control group. The cure rate was 71.3% in the intervention group and 58.4% in the control group. In the multivariate binary logistic regression model to evaluate the effect of the intervention, controlled by age, sex, current smoking status and directly observed treatment short, intervention was independently associated with cure rate (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.24-0.94; P = 0.033).There was a significant difference in the default rate between the control and intervention groups (18.0% vs 5.0%, respectively, P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: An educational strategy intervention and remote supervision on the post-discharge management of new cases of TB with in-hospital diagnosis had a positive effect of small magnitude on cure rate. Secondarily, the treatment default rate has been significantly decreased with the intervention.

Brazilian consensus on non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a condition that has been increasingly diagnosed by chest HRCT. In the literature, bronchiectasis is divided into bronchiectasis secondary to cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis not associated with cystic fibrosis, which is termed non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Many causes can lead to the development of bronchiectasis, and patients usually have chronic airway symptoms, recurrent infections, and CT abnormalities consistent with the condition. The first international guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis was published in 2010. In Brazil, this is the first review document aimed at systematizing the knowledge that has been accumulated on the subject to date. Because there is insufficient evidence on which to base recommendations for various treatment topics, here the decision was made to prepare an expert consensus document. The Brazilian Thoracic Association Committee on Respiratory Infections summoned 10 pulmonologists with expertise in bronchiectasis in Brazil to conduct a critical assessment of the available scientific evidence and international guidelines, as well as to identify aspects that are relevant to the understanding of the heterogeneity of bronchiectasis and to its diagnostic and therapeutic management. Five broad topics were established (pathophysiology, diagnosis, monitoring of stable patients, treatment of stable patients, and management of exacerbations). After this subdivision, the topics were distributed among the authors, who conducted a nonsystematic review of the literature, giving priority to major publications in the specific areas, including original articles, review articles, and systematic reviews. The authors reviewed and commented on all topics, producing a single final document that was approved by consensus.

Relationship between nutritional status and maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures in cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition might be expected to result in reduced maximum respiratory pressure and pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis (CF). OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between nutritional status and maximum respiratory pressures in patients with CF. METHODS: We performed a prospective cross-sectional study of patients > or = 16 y old attending the Adult CF Program at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP) were measured as indexes of respiratory muscle strength. Nutritional status was assessed via body mass index (BMI), triceps-skin-fold thickness and mid-upper-arm-muscle circumference. The patients were classified into 2 groups according to BMI: normal and nutritional depletion. Spirometry was performed by all subjects. RESULTS: The study included 39 patients (23 female/16 male) with a mean age of 23.7 +/- 6.4 y. The mean +/- SD percent-of-predicted MIP was 88.0 +/- 28.5% in the normal group and 83.2 +/- 27.3% in the nutritional-depletion group (p = 0.605). The mean +/- SD percent-of-predicted MEP was 84.7 +/- 24.2% in the normal group and 86.1 +/- 26.3% in the nutritional-depletion group (p = 0.874). The mean +/- SD percent-of-predicted forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)) was 55.2 +/- 27.5% in the normal group and 50.0 +/- 25.6% in the nutritional-depletion group (p = 0.568). MEP and MIP had no significant correlation to BMI or FEV(1). CONCLUSION: MEP and MIP had no significant relationship to nutritional status, clinical score, chest radiograph score, and pulmonary function.

Association between lung function, physical activity level and postural evaluation variables in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

INTRODUCTION: With the evolution of the cystic fibrosis (CF) disease, the decline of lung function associated with metabolic disorders and malnutrition, causes alterations in respiratory mechanics, musculoskeletal disorders and thoracic deformities, bringing injury to the individual's quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To verify the association between lung function, physical activity level and postural evaluation variables in adults with CF. METHODS: All patients underwent clinical evaluation and spirometry. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and an accelerometer were used to verify the physical activity level (PA). Photogrammetry was used with the aid of the Software of postural evaluation (SAPO) and, for complementary comparisons, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) was used. RESULTS: Twenty-eight adult subjects with CF, mean age of 25.1 ± 6.3 years and mean expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1 ) of 47.1 ± 20.9% of the predicted group participated in the study. The FEV1 correlated with the parameters obtained by the accelerometer (r = 0.723, P = .000), postural evaluation (r = -0.483, P = .005) and 6MWT (r = 0.439, P = .019), but there was no correlation with the data obtained by IPAQ (r = -0.282; P = .073). The time in which each individual remained in moderate to vigorous physical activity correlated with parameters of postural evaluation (thoracic kyphosis r = -0.484, P = .031, cervical lordosis r = 0.531, P = .016), 6MWT (r = 0.564; P = .010) and with the total METS obtained by IPAQ (r = 0.451, P = .046). CONCLUSIONS: Lung function in patients with CF disease is associated with higher thoracic kyphosis, shorter time in moderate and vigorous PA, and shorter distance covered in 6MWT. The accelerometer has been shown to be the best instrument for assessing PA in this public.

Asthma control, lung function, nutritional status, and health-related quality of life: differences between adult males and females with asthma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate health-related quality of life in asthma patients treated at a referral center in southern Brazil, identifying differences between male and female patients, as well as to evaluate differences between the males and females in terms of asthma control, lung function, and nutritional status. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients ≥ 18 years of age treated at an asthma outpatient clinic. We evaluated clinical parameters, lung function, nutritional status, and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 198 patients completed the study. The mean age was 56.2 ± 14.8 years, and 81.8% were female. The proportion of patients with uncontrolled asthma was higher among females than among males (63.0% vs. 44.4%; p = 0.041). The body mass index (BMI) and percentage of body fat were higher in females than in males (30.2 ± 5.8 kg/m2 vs. 26.9 ± 4.5 kg/m2 and 37.4 ± 6.4% vs. 26.5 ± 7.4%; p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). Quality of life was lower in females than in males in the following domains: symptoms (3.8 ± 1.5 vs. 4.6 ± 1.7; p = 0.006); activity limitation (3.6 ± 1.3 vs. 4.4 ± 1.5; p = 0.001); emotional function (3.6 ± 1.9 vs. 4.5 ± 1.7; p = 0.014); and environmental stimuli (3.2 ± 1.6 vs. 4.3 ± 1.9; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Male asthma patients appear to fare better than do female asthma patients in terms of health-related quality of life, asthma control, BMI, percentage of body fat, and comorbidities.