New asthma technology hopes to reduce attacks through use of real-time data

A trial of 80 patients in Medeor hospitals in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi will assess the effectiveness of a portable spirometer, testing lung function, and a small chest device to assess cardiac health.

Some asthma patients will assess spirometer to tests lung function and store data on smartphone application. Courtesy HealthUp

ABU DHABI // Dozens of asthma sufferers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are testing new portable devices linked to mobile phones that send real-time data to doctors.

A trial of 80 patients in Medeor hospitals in both emirates will assess the spirometer, which tests lung function, and a small chest device to assess cardiac health.

Half of the patients will use a traditional respiratory-monitoring system, about the size of a laptop, to compare results.

About one in six people in Dubai have asthma, with Rashid Hospital treating more than 1,500 cases a year, the Dubai Health Authority said.

Summer is the busiest season for hospital admissions because of the heat, dusty climate and pollution levels.

Dr Hossameldin Saad, a pulmonary physician at Medeor Hospital, is leading the study into new detection devices.

“If the trial is successful, these devices could be handed out to patients in the way diabetics use similar medical equipment to monitor their own blood-sugar levels,” Dr Saad said.

“The small device will test the maximum speed of expiration to help diagnose symptoms early and accurately.

“It is a new technology that will be easier to use and more accessible for patients, so that should help them to understand their condition, and when they require medical treatment.”

The connected system allows patients to send their data directly to their physicians, rather than having to visit the clinic or hospital.

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman of VPS Healthcare, said the healthcare industry was shifting towards a prevention-led approach.

“These devices will be customised for local conditions and provide patients with an innovative product to monitor their illness,” he said.

Asthma, which affects 235 million people, is a chronic inflammation of airways in the lungs that causes them to become inflamed, swollen and sensitive.

The symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathing difficulty, especially early in the morning or at night.

A specific substance usually triggers wheezing, and could be allergens such as mould, pollen, animal fur or droppings, or irritants such as cigarette smoke and air pollution.

Like most big cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are afflicted by air pollution.

According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, Abu Dhabi is forecast to have an air quality index of 160 tomorrow, a level of pollution that restricts children, adults and people with respiratory problems, such as asthma, from prolonged outdoor exercise.

Each year, air pollution causes 1.34 million premature deaths, says the World Health Organisation.

Doctors advise parents to consider a plan to help their children to address asthma and what to do when their symptoms worsen.

“It’s essential for children to know how to ask an adult for help and for the people who care for the child to know asthma basics to make it easier for the child to talk about their triggers and warning signs,” said paediatric respiratory consultant Dr Ranjan Suri.

“An action plan would ideally tell the child when to take their asthma medicine, what to do when their asthma gets worse, what to do in an emergency, as well as what their asthma triggers are.”

In 2009, a survey in Al Ain assessed asthma’s impact on school attendance and found that 62 per cent of asthmatic boys and 72 per cent of asthmatic girls missed at least a day of school because of their condition.

“Teaching the child about asthma is an important step in controlling their disease,” said Dr Suri. “It is important to teach them about their medication, why they have to take the medicine and how it helps. Then, as children become older, they can take the lead in controlling their own asthma.”