Asthma Patients Increased Risk of Infection

Mayo Clinic Reseachers Suggest Pneumococcal Vaccine

Jan 19, 2009

Asthma patients have an increased risk of contracting pneumococcal disease, according to new medical research. Immunization is suggested to prevent serious illness.

Research by Mayo Clinic indicates that adults with asthma have an increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumonia, which are the most common bacteria causing middle ear infections and community acquired pneumonia. The bacteria also cause blood stream infections and brain infections.

According to a statement written in a Mayo Clinic press release; the Centers for Disease Control states that pneumococcal infections is one of the leading causes of death from a vaccine-preventable disease. Study results ere published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Mayo Clinic Research

Young Juhn, M.D., a pediatric and adolescent medicine physician-scientist at Mayo Clinic and the lead author of the study stated, “We found that adults with invasive pneumococcal disease, a serious, potentially fatal disease, are seven times more likely to be asthmatics. Our study also showed that 17 percent of the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease can be attributable to asthma at a population level. This is quite a significant impact on the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease.”

Juhn went on to say that vaccines can prevent the invasive pneumococcal disease. Medical practitioners have the ability to reduce the instance of a potentially fatal disease by expanding the indication for pneumococcal vaccine to include adults with asthma.

The Mayo Clinic researchers used a population-based study of 3.941 records from the population of Rochester, Minnesota to find if people with asthma had a higher rate of pneumococcal disease. Researchers found that adults with asthma were almost seven times more likely to develop pneumococcal diseases compared to adults who did not have asthma.

Researchers did not have a large enough sample size to draw a conclusion about children.

According to Dr. John, the governing body for immunization practices, The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), voted unanimously that adults with asthma should receive the pneumococcal vaccine.

Asthma

Asthma occurs when the airways in the lungs become inflamed and constricted. Asthma cannot be cured so medical treatment focuses upon controlling symptoms by avoiding triggers and by taking control medications to prevent flare ups.

Pneumococcal Vaccine

The Pneumococcal vaccine is an immunization agent used to prevent infection caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Pneumococcal infection can cause serious conditions, such as pneumonia, meningitis, severe infections in the blood and potentially death.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, immunization against pneumococcal disease is recommended for all adults and children over two, but especially for adults 65 years and older and people with certain health conditions.

Information in this article is for informational purpose only and is not intended as medical advice.

The copyright of the article Asthma Patients Increased Risk of Infection in Allergies is owned by Christine Nyholm. Permission to republish Asthma Patients Increased Risk of Infection in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.