Improvement in symptoms and pulmonary function of asthmatic patients due to their treatment according to the Global Strategy for Asthma Management (GINA)

Table 4 Different type of drugs in treatment regimen in usual care and intervention groups of asthmatic patients at the beginning, middle and the end of the study

Type of	Beginning		Middle		End
Drugs	Usual care Gr.	Intervention Gr.	Usual care Gr.	Intervention Gr.	Usual care Gr.	Intervention Gr.
Inhaler salbotamol	75.00	66.70	83.00 NS	92.50 ***	79.20 NS ns	73.10 NS +++
Oral salbotamol	29.2	26.90	16.65 NS	15.40 *	25.00 NS ns	3.80 *** ++
Inhaler Salmetrol	0	3.80	20.8 ***	19.20 ***	4.2 NS +++	15.40 ** ns
Inhaler corticosteroid	25.00	26.90	62.50 ***	88.50 ***	41.7 * ++	30.80 NS +++
Oral corticosteroid	25.00	26.90	29.20 NS	42.30 *	20.80 NS ns	7.70 *** +++
Oral theophylline	50.00	53.85	83.00 ***	76.90 *	54.20 NS +++	15.40 *** +++
Anti-histamine	8.30	15.40	33.3 ***	30.80 *	8.30 NS +++	19.20 NS +
Inhaler using technique	41.70	30.80	45.80 NS	100 ***	45.80 NS ns	100 *** ns

(percentage of total patients in each group)
Statistical difference in the percentage of patients using each type of drug between beginning with middle and the end of the study: NS; non significant difference, *; p < 0.05, **; p < 0.005, ***; p < 0.001. Statistical difference in the percentage of patients using each type of drug between middle and the end of the study: ns; non significant difference, +; p < 0.05, ++; p < 0.005, +++; p < 0.001. The dose of beclomethasone dipropionate in patients of both groups was 400–1400 μg depending upon the severity of the disease and the dose of fluticasone dipropionate was 500 μg.

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