Maintenance of Asthma Control in Adolescents with Severe Asthma After Transitioning to a Specialist Adult Centre: A French Cohort Experience

Caroline Dufrois,1 Mélisande Bourgoin-Heck,1 Nathalie Lambert,1,2 Jocelyne Just,1 Aurore Bregeon,1,2 Camille Taillé,3 Stéphanie Wanin1 1Department of Paediatric Allergology, Armand Trousseau University Hospital, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire, AP-HP Sorbonne-Université, Paris, France; 2Transversal Unit of Therapeutic Education of the Patient, Sorbonne University, Paris, France; 3Department of Respiratory Diseases, Hôpital Bichat, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire, AP-HP Nord-Université de Paris, Paris, FranceCorrespondence: Stéphanie Wanin, Department of Paediatric Allergology, Armand Trousseau University Hospital, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire, AP-HP Sorbonne-Université, 26, Avenue Arnold Netter, Paris, 75012, France, Tel +33 1 87 89 27 62, Email stephanie.wanin@aphp.frBackground: The prevalence of severe asthma in adolescents is estimated at 6.7%. Transition to adult health services is a vulnerable period for adolescents where there is a risk of poor treatment adherence and loss to follow-up.Purpose: This retrospective study evaluated the maintenance of asthma control in young severe asthmatics, 6 months and 1 year after transition to a specialist adult centre.Methods: Patients with severe asthma treated in a paediatric pulmonology centre in the Île-de-France and referred at least 6 months previously to an adult service were included. Asthma control was evaluated by measuring the ACT score and respiratory function. Patients were asked to answer an on-line questionnaire about their experiences during transition.Results: Fifty-four adolescents with severe asthma underwent transition to the adult service between 2014 and 2021. Thirteen patients (25%) were lost to follow-up after an average of 22.4 months of follow-up. Three-quarters (73%) of patients had well controlled asthma with an ACT score ≥ 20 during transition and the majority were able to maintain good control and respiratory function (> 60% FEV1 > 80%) during follow-up in adult pulmonology. Among the patients that answered the questionnaire, 64.8% were satisfied with the transition process.Conclusion: Asthma control and respiratory function were maintained 6 months and 1 year after transition to the adult centre in the majority of patients. Most patients were satisfied with the transition process, but several improvements can be proposed, including early discussion of the medical plan and the implementation of procedures to reduce loss to follow-up.Keywords: severe asthma, transition, adolescents, pulmonology, asthma control, adults