Study of correlation between forced vital capacity and demand for healthcare services in severe asthmatics

Involvement of the small airways may be related to increased severity and increased demand for health care services and incurring in high costs, private or for the healthcare system. The hyperinflation consequent to this involvement reduces lung volumes, such as FVC, FEV1 and SVC. The

For this sample we conclude, that reduced forced vital capacity correlated with asthma severity, defined by greater demand for care in the ER, ICU and hospital ward and was more evident in women.

We retrospectively evaluated in order of arrival, the medical records of 98 patients with severe asthma, in step 4 treatment in the intercritical period of the disease, correlating the number of times each patient sought health care services represented by admissions to the ER, ICU and hospital wards due to asthma, in the year before the last spirometry and the predicted values of FVC, FEV1 and SVC.

Our sample showed a clear and significant negative correlation between the predicted values of FVC, FEV1 and SVC and demand for healthcare services.