Evaluation of Asthma Control in the Dominican Republic: a Clinical Perspective/ Evaluación del control del asma en República Dominicana: una perspectiva clínica monocéntrica

Abstract

Introduction: Asthma is a respiratory pathology characterized by chronic and reversible airway inflammation. It is associated with modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that influence its control and exacerbations. In countries such as Puerto Rico (22.8 %) and Cuba (23 %), the prevalence of asthma is significantly higher than the global prevalence (6.6 %). Objective: To estimate the asthma status of adult asthmatic patients who attended the emergency or consultation of a center in the Dominican Republic based on absenteeism and the frequency of exacerbations of the pathology. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on patients diagnosed with asthma in a private clinic in the Dominican Republic. Data on asthma presentation and sociodemographic characteristics were collected. A sample size of 95 participants was used. Data was collected safely and analyzed using statistical methods: chi-square tests and logistic regression. Primary and secondary analyses were performed to evaluate asthma control and associated comorbidities. Results: We obtained a sample of 92 participants of whom, in all control groups, reported having interrupted the purchase of medication due to its cost. Regarding work absenteeism, patients with total control lost 2 working days and patients with very poor control were absent for 9.96 days (p = 0.011). It was also found that patients with longer diagnosis time presented low asthma control (p=0.075). Conclusion: This project highlights the importance of implementing a comprehensive approach to patients with asthma, in order to reduce the influence of factors that negatively affect the control of the pathology.

Keywords

• asthma
• treatment outcome
• sociodemographic factors
• barriers to access of health services
• symptom flare up