Lost in the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare? Experiences of young adults with severe asthma

Figures & data

Table 1. Recruitment, fulfilled criteria and study population.

Follow-up	Fulfilled criteria	Number (n)
At 16 years	Asthma^a	437
	High daily doses ICS^b	104
and
At 24 years	Current respiratory symptoms^c	30
Study population	Exclusiond	14
	Interviews	16

^aAt least two of the following three criteria: symptoms of wheeze and/or breathing difficulties, asthma medicine occasionally or regularly in the 12 months preceding the 16-year follow-up, and/or ever doctor’s diagnosis of asthma.

^bBeing dispensed high daily doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), at least 800 µg budesonide or equivalent (≥ 500 µg fluticasone), or fixed combinations of ICS and long-acting β₂-agonists (LABA) within the 18 months preceding the 16-year follow-up.

^cDifficulty breathing, tightness of the chest, or wheezy/raspy breathing at least 4–12 episodes in the 12 months preceding the 24-year follow-up.

^dExclusion: excluded, n = 14, due to no contact with healthcare before and after 18 years of age (n = 4), not wanting to participate (n = 3), or not reachable at ≥ three different time points (n = 7).

Figure 1. The analysis process in systematic text condensation, steps 1–4: preliminary themes, codes, subgroups, and categories. 1. Step 1, getting an overall impression of the text, identifying preliminary themes. 2. Step 2, identifying meaning units in the preliminary themes, labeling with codes. 3. Step 3, sorting the codes by meaning, and further into subgroups. 4. Step 4, synthesizing the essence of each meaning from condensation to descriptions and concepts of each category.

Table 2. Characteristics of interviewed participants (n = 16) based on reported BAMSE questionnaire data.

Participant #	Age years	Gender	Parental allergic disease^a	IgE-sensitized to inhalant and/or food allergens^b	Multiple allergic diseases^c
1	23	Male	Yes	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
2	22	Male	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
3	22	Male	No	–*	Asthma, eczema and rhinitis
4	23	Female	No	Yes	Asthma, eczema and rhinitis
5	22	Female	No	Yes	Asthma
6	22	Female	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
7	22	Female	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
8	23	Male	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
9	23	Female	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
10	23	Male	Yes	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
11	24	Female	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
12	24	Female	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
13	23	Male	No	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
14	24	Female	Yes	Yes	Asthma and rhinitis
15	24	Male	Yes	Yes	Asthma
16	23	Female	Yes	Yes	Asthma and eczema

^aMother and/or father with doctor’s diagnosis of asthma and asthma medication and/or doctor’s diagnosis of hay fever in combination with reported allergy to furred pets and/or pollen at the time of the baseline questionnaire (yes/no).

^bImmunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization to inhalant allergens (cat, dog, horse, house dust mite, timothy grass, birch, mugwort, or mould), and/or food allergens (cow’s milk, hen’s egg, soybean, peanut, cod fish, or wheat) was measured using Phadiatop®; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden. IgE values greater than 0.35 kUA/L were regarded as positive (yes/no). *No observations.

^cAsthma at 16 years: fulfilled at least two of the following three criteria: symptoms of wheeze and/or breathing difficulties, asthma medicine occasionally or regularly in the preceding 12 months, and/or ever doctor’s diagnosis of asthma.

Eczema at 16 years: dry skin in combination with itchy rash and typical localization (arm/leg flexures or wrists/ankles or neck/throat) in the 12 months preceding the questionnaire at age 16 years.

Rhinitis at 16 years: symptoms of sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, or itchy, red, and watery eyes after exposure to furred pets or pollen (preceding 12 months), and/or doctor’s diagnosis of allergic rhinitis from age 12 years up to the date of the questionnaire at age 16 years.