Installing ultraviolet irradiation units into the homes of children with asthma may reduce asthma severity and improve asthma control, according to research presented at the AAAAI 2021 virtual meeting.
The study funded by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease examined the novel CREON2000A ultraviolet (UV) air irradiation system technology (General Innovations and Goods, Inc) to see if it could be used as a single environmental, non-pharmacologic intervention for asthma. Multifaceted environmental control interventions, while more common, can be expensive and difficult for patients to maintain long term.
Researchers conducted a 12-month, randomized, parallel group, multicenter, double-blind study. The CREON2000A was installed in some homes while a sham unit was installed in others. All homes had at least one child with mild-moderate asthma. The Composite Asthma Severity Index (CASI) was measured at baseline and then every four months. Statistical significance was determined using linear regression models.
CREON2000A was installed in 40 homes while the sham was installed in 39. Demographic and baseline characteristics in both groups were similar. Researchers found a significant improvement in asthma severity from baseline to 12 months for children in the CREON2000A group compared to the sham group.
“It’s exciting to see a single environmental non-pharmacologic intervention that has the potential to improve asthma outcomes in children,” said first author Jonathan A. Bernstein, MD, FAAAAI. “This single intervention would be easy to maintain and has the potential to help thousands of children with mild to moderate persistent asthma.”
