When is the ideal time to perform the aspirin challenge test?

The ideal time to perform the aspirin challenge test is when asthma is in remission. Conducting the test during this period ensures that the patient's asthma symptoms are well controlled and stable, which allows for a more accurate assessment of their response to aspirin.

When patients are in a state of remission, the risk of exacerbating their asthma symptoms during the challenge is minimized, which can lead to clearer and more interpretable results. This approach helps clinicians determine if the patient has aspirin sensitivity without the confounding effects of acute asthma symptoms that could interfere with the test results.

Additionally, performing the test during an asthma attack would likely misrepresent the patient's sensitivity to aspirin because the attack itself could provoke airway inflammation and hyperreactivity, skewing the outcome. Similarly, testing when FeV1% is below 70% would indicate significant airflow limitation that can contribute to an unstable testing environment. Testing after eating may not be relevant to the assessment of aspirin sensitivity, as the gastrointestinal effects of food could further complicate the evaluation of respiratory responses.