Table 2. Follow-up patient characteristics according to the number of exacerbations during the post-fibreoptic bronchoscopy year
Variables No-Ex Low-Ex High-Ex p value
n 20 27 33
Within days following fibreoptic bronchoscopy Within days following fibreoptic bronchoscopy Within days following fibreoptic bronchoscopy Within days following fibreoptic bronchoscopy Within days following fibreoptic bronchoscopy
Patients treated by ATB 9/20 (45.0) 21/27 (77.8) 23/33 (69.7) <0.001a,b
Pathogenic bacteria treated by ATB 9/11 (81.8) 21/26 (80.8) 23/26 (88.4) 0.730
During the 12 months following fibreoptic bronchoscopy During the 12 months following fibreoptic bronchoscopy During the 12 months following fibreoptic bronchoscopy During the 12 months following fibreoptic bronchoscopy During the 12 months following fibreoptic bronchoscopy
≥1 Hospitalization for wheeze 0/20 (0.0) 6/27 (22.2) 21/33 (63.6) <0.001a,b,c
≥1 ED visit for wheeze 0/20 (0.0) 10/27 (37.0) 14/33 (42.4) 0.003a,b
Increased daily dose of ICS 0/20 (0.0) 2/27 (7.4) 16/33 (48.5) <0.001b,c
Unchanged daily dose of ICS 9/20 (45.0) 15/27 (55.6) 14/33 (42.4)
Decreased daily dose of ICS 11/20 (55.0) 10/27 (37.0) 3/33 (9.0)
12 months after fibreoptic bronchoscopy, number of patients treated with 12 months after fibreoptic bronchoscopy, number of patients treated with 12 months after fibreoptic bronchoscopy, number of patients treated with 12 months after fibreoptic bronchoscopy, number of patients treated with 12 months after fibreoptic bronchoscopy, number of patients treated with
ICS 19/20 (95.5) 26/27 (96.3) 33/33 (100.0) 0.468
Leukotriene receptor antagonists 15/20 (75.0) 23/27 (85.2) 30/33 (90.9) 0.290
Long-acting beta-agonists 11/20 (55.0) 9/27 (33.3) 15/33 (45.5) 0.323
Antihistamine agents 8/20 (40.0) 9/27 (33.3) 15/33 (45.5) 0.635
ATB= antibiotics; ICS= inhaled corticosteroids; eq. = equivalent, ED = Emergency department. Patients were divided according to their number of exacerbations in the year following bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation), Low-Ex (1-2 exacerbations) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations). Results are presented as absolute values and percentage (n/N (%)); Comparisons between groups were performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s post-tests for quantitative variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Statistical significance (bold): p<0.05 (a p<0.05 for No-Ex vs Low-Ex; b p<0.05 for No-Ex vs High-Ex; c p<0.05 for Low-Ex vs High-Ex). ATB= antibiotics; ICS= inhaled corticosteroids; eq. = equivalent, ED = Emergency department. Patients were divided according to their number of exacerbations in the year following bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation), Low-Ex (1-2 exacerbations) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations). Results are presented as absolute values and percentage (n/N (%)); Comparisons between groups were performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s post-tests for quantitative variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Statistical significance (bold): p<0.05 (a p<0.05 for No-Ex vs Low-Ex; b p<0.05 for No-Ex vs High-Ex; c p<0.05 for Low-Ex vs High-Ex). ATB= antibiotics; ICS= inhaled corticosteroids; eq. = equivalent, ED = Emergency department. Patients were divided according to their number of exacerbations in the year following bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation), Low-Ex (1-2 exacerbations) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations). Results are presented as absolute values and percentage (n/N (%)); Comparisons between groups were performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s post-tests for quantitative variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Statistical significance (bold): p<0.05 (a p<0.05 for No-Ex vs Low-Ex; b p<0.05 for No-Ex vs High-Ex; c p<0.05 for Low-Ex vs High-Ex). ATB= antibiotics; ICS= inhaled corticosteroids; eq. = equivalent, ED = Emergency department. Patients were divided according to their number of exacerbations in the year following bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation), Low-Ex (1-2 exacerbations) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations). Results are presented as absolute values and percentage (n/N (%)); Comparisons between groups were performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s post-tests for quantitative variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Statistical significance (bold): p<0.05 (a p<0.05 for No-Ex vs Low-Ex; b p<0.05 for No-Ex vs High-Ex; c p<0.05 for Low-Ex vs High-Ex). ATB= antibiotics; ICS= inhaled corticosteroids; eq. = equivalent, ED = Emergency department. Patients were divided according to their number of exacerbations in the year following bronchoscopy in No-Ex (0 exacerbation), Low-Ex (1-2 exacerbations) and High-Ex (≥3 exacerbations). Results are presented as absolute values and percentage (n/N (%)); Comparisons between groups were performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s post-tests for quantitative variables and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Statistical significance (bold): p<0.05 (a p<0.05 for No-Ex vs Low-Ex; b p<0.05 for No-Ex vs High-Ex; c p<0.05 for Low-Ex vs High-Ex).