The current issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology focuses on asthma and the use of oscillometry to look at small airways and possible better measures to follow our patients compared to spirometry. If you are not using oscillometry now, you may very well want to start after reading these impactful articles.
An editorial by Dr. Stanley P. Galant, this issue’s Guest Editor, summarizes the issue and stresses the importance of oscillometry to measure small airway dysfunction and predict asthma control. The review article of Dr. Francine M. Ducharme and Dr. Rory Chan describes the usefulness of oscillometry compared with spirometry in diagnosing asthma, including the bronchodilator response and airway provocation testing. Dr. Chan and Dr. Brian Lipworth provide their perspective on oscillometry and its use as a non-effort dependent measure of asthma, which is more sensitive than standard spirometry. The original article by Dr. Yoshito Miyata and colleagues provides a 12-month study in 94 adults predicting asthma remission; they found oscillometry could predict the lack of exacerbation, but spirometry (FEV1) could not. In their review, Dr. Marcello Cottini and colleagues provide evidence that oscillometry can measure small airway dysfunction as a treatable measure for asthma.
If, as we suspect, these articles convince you to start doing oscillometry in your office, Dr. Gochicoa-Rangel and Dr. Mario H. Vargas provide advice on how to choose an oscillometry setup along with reference values.
This month has many important research articles and editorials, as well. Dr. Luca Cegelon and colleagues highlight the issue of social determinants of health and sensitization to indoor molds in their editorial of an original article by Dr. Patrick K. Gleeson and colleagues. In a retrospective chart review of almost 3,000 patients, the study authors found that Aspergillus, but not other molds, was associated with asthma exacerbations in Black populations, but not the whole population. Two additional articles highlight other aspects of asthma, examining measures to explore asthma control. Dr. Miguel J. Lanz and colleagues developed a pediatric control and severity measure and Dr. Laurie A. Manka developed a tool to look at response in laryngopharyngeal reflux in asthma.
In addition to asthma, this issue features articles on food allergy. We continue our series on “How we treat” with a brief article from Dr. Matthew Greenhawt on the diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergy and his approach to food allergy diagnosis. Two articles and accompanying editorials focus on food protein induced enterocolitis (FPIES) that look at behavior issues in pediatrics and how to diagnose FPIES in adults.
As you read this issue of Annals (our 81st year of publication!), we hope you are having a successful start to the new year. And, as always, if you have any comments, please consider sending correspondence to Annals (email us at annals@ACAAI.org). We are always excited to hear how Annals has helped you improve the lives of your patients!
Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD, FACAAI
Deputy Editor
