PMID- 34422507
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20210824
IS  - 2168-8184 (Print)
IS  - 2168-8184 (Electronic)
IS  - 2168-8184 (Linking)
VI  - 13
IP  - 8
DP  - 2021 Aug
TI  - Real-Life Benefit of Omalizumab in Improving Control of Bronchial Asthma During 
      COVID-19 Pandemic.
PG  - e17268
LID - 10.7759/cureus.17268 [doi]
LID - e17268
AB  - Biologic therapy is recommended by Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines 
      in asthma patients not controlled with maximal inhaled therapy corresponding to 
      GINA step 4. Omalizumab is an anti- immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody 
      and the first biological available for the add-on treatment of severe allergic 
      asthma, approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003. Diagnosing and 
      managing asthma patients during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic 
      since early 2020 has been challenging, mainly due to the risk of contracting 
      COVID-19 disease and to the limited access to hospital care and pulmonary 
      function tests. We report a case of a 52-year-old female patient, diagnosed with 
      adult-onset asthma in 2018, who was first referred to the Allergy Department of 
      our hospital in January 2019 for dyspnea, wheezing, and worsening cough. Despite 
      continuous inhaled therapy and good inhalation technique, she had frequent asthma 
      symptoms, requiring short courses of oral corticosteroids (CS). Physical 
      examination and pulmonary function tests on admission revealed 
      broncho-obstructive syndrome and laboratory tests showed mild inflammation and 
      high total serum IgE. She continued to have two moderate-severe exacerbations 
      after stepping up to maximal inhaled therapy plus oral montelukast and 
      theophylline, according to GINA step 4. By the end of 2019, we additionally 
      started omalizumab, which resulted in prompt clinical benefits and resolution of 
      asthma symptoms. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic limiting in-person visits, 
      virtual follow-ups indicated adequate control of his symptoms, as proved by 
      asthma control test and no need for hospital presentation.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2021, Leru et al.
FAU - Leru, Polliana Mihaela
AU  - Leru PM
AD  - Family Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, 
      ROU.
AD  - Internal Medicine, Colentina Clinical Hospital/Carol Davila University of 
      Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, ROU.
FAU - Anton, Vlad Florin
AU  - Anton VF
AD  - Internal Medicine, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, ROU.
LA  - eng
PT  - Case Reports
DEP - 20210817
PL  - United States
TA  - Cureus
JT  - Cureus
JID - 101596737
PMC - PMC8371356
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - asthma control
OT  - biologic therapy
OT  - covid-19 pandemic
OT  - omalizumab
OT  - real-life benefit
COIS- The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
EDAT- 2021/08/24 06:00
MHDA- 2021/08/24 06:01
PMCR- 2021/08/17
CRDT- 2021/08/23 06:34
PHST- 2021/08/17 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2021/08/23 06:34 [entrez]
PHST- 2021/08/24 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/08/24 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2021/08/17 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.7759/cureus.17268 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Cureus. 2021 Aug 17;13(8):e17268. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17268. eCollection 2021 
      Aug.