Asthma exacerbations during pregnancy are common and can be associated with substantial maternal and fetal morbidity.

Treatment decisions based on sputum eosinophil counts reduce exacerbations in non-pregnant women with asthma, but results with the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) to guide management are equivocal.

We tested the hypothesis that a management algorithm for asthma in pregnancy based on FENO and symptoms would reduce asthma exacerbations.MethodsWe undertook a double-blind, parallel-group, controlled trial in two antenatal clinics in Australia.

Authors : Heather Powell, Vanessa E Murphy, D Robin Taylor, Michael J Hensley, Kirsten McCaffery, Warwick Giles, Vicki L Clifton, Peter G Gibson
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