Diagnostic and Translational Values of Point-of-care Blood Eosinophils and Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) in People Referred by Primary Care for Suspected Asthma

Launched by UNIVERSITÉ DE SHERBROOKE · Aug 7, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying new ways to diagnose asthma, especially in people who have been referred by their family doctors because they might have the condition. The researchers want to find tests that are easier to access and can be done outside of a hospital setting. Specifically, they will look at measuring exhaled nitric oxide (a gas in your breath that can indicate inflammation in the airways) and checking blood eosinophil levels (which are white blood cells that can signal allergy and asthma issues). The goal is to help identify people with active airway inflammation, which can lead to asthma attacks and help doctors choose the right treatments.

To be eligible for this trial, participants must be at least 12 years old and show symptoms of asthma, having been referred by their primary care provider. They should not have taken certain medications recently or have specific serious lung or heart conditions. If you or someone you know qualifies, participants will undergo simple tests to measure inflammation and help improve asthma diagnosis. This study is currently recruiting participants of all genders, and those interested will need to provide informed consent before joining.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • aged ≥ 12 years who have symptoms suggestive of asthma,
• • referred by their primary care provider (defined as a non-respirologist, non-allergist, non-otolaryngologist) using the CHUS suspected asthma decision-making algorithm. Under that algorithm, patients have non-diagnostic pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry and no contraindications to a methacholine challenge.
• • Free and informed consent must be given by the patient (and their legal guardian, if applicable).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Use of an inhaled or systemic corticosteroid in the previous 48 hours;
• • Smoking in the previous 6 hours; history of viral and/or bacterial respiratory infection in the past 4 weeks;
• • major cardiopulmonary disease, including: a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), defined by all of the following: i) aged ≥ 40 years , ii) permanent obstruction on spirometry (FEV1/FVC \<0.7) and iii) a smoking history of \>10 pack-years or known alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, b) lung conditions deemed significant by the investigator, including cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, and c) unstable heart disease.