Cost Analysis of Monitoring Asthma Treatment using Sputum Cell Counts

BACKGROUND: In a four-centre trial, the use of sputum cell counts (sputum strategy [SS]) to guide treatment had resulted in fewer and less severe exacerbations without the need for a higher corticosteroid dose, compared with the use of symptoms and spirometry (clinical strategy [CS]). objective: To compare the cost of the SS with the CS in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe asthma. METHODS: In 39 patients (19 in the SS, 20 in the …