Table 4 Uncontrolled asthma outcomes.

From: Uncontrolled asthma: a retrospective cohort study in Japanese patients newly prescribed with medium-/high-dose ICS/LABA

Outcome

Definition

Episode of exacerbation

• Moderate exacerbation was defined as an outpatient claim for asthma plus a systemic corticosteroids burst claim of ≤30 days (within 7 days of the outpatient claim)4,30

• Severe exacerbation was defined as hospitalization and/or ER visit claim for asthma

Treatment step upa

• Increased ICS dose (for the medium-dose ICS/LABA patient cohort only) or addition of another asthma controller: LAMA, LTRA, theophylline, or maintenance systemic corticosteroidsb

Above threshold use of SABAc

• An average daily dose >2 puffs/day of salbutamol equivalent (i.e., >200 µg/day for inhaled salbutamol and >20 µg/day for inhaled procaterol)31,32

Use of adrenaline

Identified by any claim of its use in the form of Bosmin® or Epipen®

  1. ER emergency room, ICS inhaled corticosteroid, LABA long-acting β2-agonist, LAMA long-acting muscarinic antagonist, LTRA leukotriene receptor antagonist, SABA short-acting β2-agonist.
  2. aIndication of a treatment step up was the first claim in the post-index period for a given drug, with no evidence of that same drug in the previous 90 days.
  3. bMaintenance systemic corticosteroids was defined as any systemic corticosteroids prescription with ≥30 days of supply.
  4. cThe first claim in the post-index period for SABA (at or above the stated thresholds), with no evidence of that same drug (at or above the stated thresholds) in the previous 90 days.
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