The effect of bronchiectasis on asthma exacerbations

Background: Bronchiectasis and asthma are different disease, However, some patients have both diseases. There are insufficient data for the effect of bronchiectasis on asthma exacerbations. Methods: We investigated 2270 patients having asthma in our hospital. Fifty patients had bronchiectasis and asthma. These patients were compared with fifty age and gender matched patients having asthma only. We evaluated frequency of asthma exacerbations (steroid use, emergency room (ER) visit and hospitalization) in each group. Results: The prevalence of bronchiectasis among the asthma patients was 2.2%. Follow up duration of each group was 51.9 ± 35.2 months for asthma with bronchiectasis and 53.8 ± 29.8 months for pure asthmatics. The number of asthma exacerbation/year (1.08±1.68 vs 0.35±0.42, p=0.004), steroid use/year (0.9±1.54 vs 0.26±0.36, p=0.006), ER visit/year (0.46±0.84 vs 0.26±0.36, p=0.001) and hospitalization/year (0.7±1.44 vs 0.1±0.17, p=0.4) due to asthma exacerbation was higher in asthma with bronchiectasis. Conclusion: The number of asthma exacerbation, steroid use, and ER visit due to asthma exacerbation was higher in asthma with bronchiectasis than pure asthma.