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Table 4 Patient quotes of the most impactful aspect of a moderate asthma exacerbation

From: Patient experience of moderate asthma attacks: qualitative research in the USA and Germany

Findings

Example quote

Patients described the most impactful aspect of a moderate asthma exacerbation

Symptoms:

Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing (n = 12)

Wheezing (n = 2)

Coughing (n = 2)

Chest tightness (n = 2)

Chest pain (n = 1)

Impact:

Sleep disturbance (n = 3)

Anxiety/worry about an attack (n = 2)

Physical impact (general) (n = 2)

Stops your day (n = 1)

Fatigue/tiredness (n = 1)

Which aspect of the asthma attack would you say is the most impactful for you? I think it’s the shortness of breath overall.” (USA-10)

“Just being fearful of having an attack in public or somewhere where I’m not around anyone who’s going to help me, or in the car…just being always fearful of when you can have an attack” (USA-09)

“Yes, the difficulty breathing, in other words, the shortness of breath, that is the worst thing of all.” (Germany-26)

“It has to be the chest tightening, the chest tightening with the short of breath. That always impacts me more.” (USA-08)

“it’s still kind of like a, like an inconvenience, um, to not breathe and the anxiety that comes with not breathing…but usually it’s the chest pain. The chest pain is the one that, like, I… that’s not fun at all.” (USA-13)