Pulmonary Diseases: Annotated Bibliography

Pulmonary Diseases: Annotated Bibliography Name Institutional Affiliation Pulmonary Diseases: Annotated Bibliography Ehteshami-Afshar, S., Fitzgerald, J., Doyle-Waters, M., & Sadatsafavi, M. (2016). The global economic burden of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 20(1), 11-23. This study corroborated other studies that have shown that non-communicable diseases have grown to become one of the major causes of deaths and disabilities around the world. Among the non-communicable diseases, chronic respiratory conditions form the bulk. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are among the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. The researchers were seeking to determine the cost of the two diseases and compare the burden of diseases across different regions. Due to differences in cost-of-illness studies, the researchers encountered difficulties in estimating the real burden of the diseases. It was also established that the costs of asthma and COPD vary greatly across different jurisdictions. However, though the real cost could not be established, the mortality and morbidity resulting from the diseases hurt the economic standings of individuals and families. Moreover, different governments across the world spend huge parts of their health budgets on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of these diseases. Yoo, K.-H., Ahn, H.-R., Park, J.-K., Kim, J.-W., Nam, G.-H., Hong, S.-K., . . . Cho, S.-H. (2016). The burden of Respiratory Disease in Korea: An Observational Study on Allergic Rhinitis, Asthma, COPD, and Rhinosinusitis. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res., 8(6), 527-534. This study was carried out to find out the economic and disease implication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, allergic rhinitis, as well as rhinosinusitis in the Asia-Pacific region. The health care resources used, symptoms, work impairment, as well as the associated costs of the diseases in Korea was examined. The study enrolled participants above the age of 18 who had a primary diagnosis of any of the diseases under study. A survey detailing the activity impairment, work productivity, health care resource use, and respiratory symptoms were carried by the treating physicians on the participants. 42.8% of the 999 patients who enrolled were found to have multiple respiratory disorders. Asthma and allergic rhinitis, as well as allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitus, were the most common combinations. Coughing in general as well as coughing with phlegm were the major reasons why most patients with asthma and COPD sought medical intervention. For the other diseases, running nose and congestion were the major reasons. The study estimated the mean cost of respiratory disease to be $8,853 annually. Reduced productivity was the major contributor to the high cost. Therefore, the burden of respiratory diseases on the Korean population is significantly higher and hence strat...