Bronchodilator responsiveness testing with inhaled budesonide/formoterol in asthma

Abstract

Background

The choice of bronchodilators for responsiveness testing (BRT) is a clinical decision according to ATS/ERS. Since January 2019 we use budesonide/formoterol for BRT in asthma at our center in Argentina. The aim was to compare budesonide/formoterol with salbutamol for BRT in stable asthmatic patients that were followed up in a short-acting beta₂ agonist (SABA)-free asthma center.

Methods

From the Hospital database, we found for the same patient at least one BRT using salbutamol 200 µg and another with budesonide/formoterol 320/9 µg.

Results

We found similar BRT between salbutamol and budesonide/formoterol in 101 asthmatic individuals (26 males) aged 38.14 ± 16.1 yrs (mean ± Standard deviation). The absolute response was 0.18 ± 0.21 L in FEV₁ after salbutamol and 0.20 ± 0.22 L in FEV₁ after budesonide/formoterol. Afterwards, we showed 202 patients tested with budesonide/formoterol; the mean absolute response was 0.21 ± 0.22 L in FEV₁. There were no unexpected safety findings.

Conclusions

In asthmatic patients, we demonstrated similar efficacy between Budesonide/formoterol and salbutamol for BRT.

Keywords:

• Asthma
• bronchodilator responsiveness
• spirometry
• budesonide/formoterol
• salbutamol

Disclosure statement

LJN has received personal fees as a speaker for Novartis and AstraZeneca, fees for participating in an advisory board from Sanofi Genzyme and AstraZeneca, and personal fees to travel to meetings from Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca. OMF has received personal fees as a speaker for AstraZeneca and fees to travel to meetings from Teva Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca., NB does not have any conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.