UV irradiation unit installed in homes decreases asthma severity in children
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Study data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology meeting demonstrated a significant decrease in asthma severity in children following the installation of ultraviolet irradiation units compared with sham units.
Jonathan Bernstein, MD, professor of medicine in the division of allergy and immunology at the University of Cincinnati, and colleagues conducted a 12-month, randomized, sham-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter, double-blind study that compared the efficacy of the novel CREON2000A ultraviolet air irradiation unit with a sham unit.
“Environmental control measures are an essential component of effective asthma management,” Bernstein told Healio. “Unfortunately, effective environmental control requires a multifaceted approach that impacts adherence and can be costly.”
The CREON2000A unit uses a single environmental intervention, and the authors wanted to determine if it would be more effective than a sham unit.
They assessed the average change in asthma severity on the Composite Asthma Severity Index (CASI) at baseline and every 4 months after randomization for 12 months. Results were compared from 40 CREON2000A units and 39 sham units installed in homes.
“The CASI measures daytime and nighttime symptom scores, daytime and nighttime short acting beta agonist use, [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1; lung function)], and asthma exacerbations,” Bernstein said.
The authors reported that the average change in severity score improved by a decrease of 1.7 in those with the CREON2000A unit, whereas those with sham units had a decrease of 1.1 in severity.
“This study demonstrates that a single low maintenance nonpharmacologic environmental intervention in the home can have a significant impact on improving asthma severity and control in children,” Bernstein said. “Many of the secondary endpoints, including reduced daytime symptoms, reduced use of short-acting beta agonists and controller therapy, missed days from school and work and asthma exacerbations, were also statistically improved.”