Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by airway hyper-responsiveness to a variety of stimuli largely of allergic origin with reversible airflow limitation. The major clinical features of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, and cough. It is a major cause of impaired quality o...f life with impact on work and recreational as well as physical activities and emotions. The goal of treatment is to achieve overall clinical control, which entails the achievement of symptom-free control and to minimize future risks. The goal is the same for all severity of the disease.
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The aim of the present study was to predict which patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma are at highest risk for healthcare utilisation can be predicted so as to optimise clinical management. Data were derived from 2,821 adults with asthma enrolled in The Epidemiology and Natural History ...of Asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens (TENOR) study. Multiple potential predictors were assessed at baseline using a systematic algorithm employing stepwise logistic regression. Outcomes were asthma-related hospitalisations or emergency department (ED) visits within 6 months following baseline.
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Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory conditions in the world and is increasing in prevalence, particularly in Africa and other low-income countries. The disproportionately high numbers of premature deaths and severe or uncontrolled cases in many African countries are indicative of th...eir inability to cope with a costly disease like asthma. Progress has, however, been made in understanding the complex and heterogeneous nature of the disease. The objective of this study will be to summarise the epidemiological literature on the nature of asthma in African countries.
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Urbanisation has been associated with temporal and geographical differences in asthma prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries (lMics). however, little is known of the mechanisms by which urbanisation and asthma are associated, perhaps explained by the methodological approaches used to a...ssess the urbanisation-asthma relationship.
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Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are among the leading causes of death worldwide, with asthma rated the most common chronic disease affecting children (1). Globally, about 300 million people have asthma, and current trends suggest that an additional 100 million people may be living with asthma by... 2025.
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Health economics is receiving more attention as decisionmakers — including purchasers, physicians and patients seek a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of adopting new health care strategies in developed and developing countries. Formal economic evaluation is playing an increasingly i...mportant role in health care decision-making, including that related to asthma.
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The National Asthma Education Programme (NAEP) is a registered non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide asthma education to healthcare professionals, patients and the lay public. It was founded in 1994 by Dr Mike Greenblatt and Profs Dave Luyt and Robin Green. This year NAEP celebrates it...s 25th anniversary and remains driven by the need to improve the daily lives of numerous asthmatics in South Africa (SA) and Africa.
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Over the past 20 years, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has regularly published and annually updated a global strategy for asthma management and prevention that has formed the basis for many national guidelines. However, uptake of existing guidelines is poor. A major revision of the GINA r...eport was published in 2014, and updated in 2015, reflecting an evolving understanding of heterogeneous airways disease, a broader evidence base, increasing interest in targeted treatment, and evidence about effective implementation approaches. During development of the report, the clinical utility of recommendations and strategies for their practical implementation were considered in parallel with the scientific evidence.
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Asthma Action Plan
Doctor’s Name:
Doctor’s Phone Number:
Main Emergency Contact:
Backup Emergency Contact:
Green Zone: No coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
Can do usual activities:
Every day: Take these medicines, even if you’re not having any symptoms.
Av...oid triggers that you know make your asthma worse.
Medicine: / How much to take: / When to take:
Before you exercise: Take 2 or 4 Puffs of_____ 5 minutes before you start, as needed.
...
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Asthma is a chronic lung disease, which means it cannot be cured. But with the right treatment asthma can be kept under control so that those affected area be to live completely normal lives enjoyingfull involvement in sport and all other activities.
Asthma usually causes symptoms over a long period and cannot be cured. But asthma can be kept under control so that those affected are able to live enjoying full involvement in sport and all other avtivies. New guidelines for the treatment of asthma put effective control of asthma as the most import...ant goal.
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Asthma is a heterogeneous condition characterised by chronic inflammation and variable expiratory airflow limitation, with airway reversibility. Management of chronic inflammation with anti-asthma medication improves asthma control and quality of life. The aim of this journal is to provide an eviden...ce-based approach for chronic asthma management in young children and adolescents and provide guidance on the use of new asthma drugs in children.
For that, the South African Childhood Asthma Working Group (SACAWG) convened in January 2017. The asthma treatment task group reviewed the available scientific literature and international asthma treatment guidelines. The evidence was then graded according to the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system and recommendations were made based on scientific evidence and local context. Asthma management recommendations were made for children ˂6 years of age and older children and adolescents, as well as for stepping up and stepping down of therapy. This review does not include biologics or novel asthma drugs, which are covered in another CME article in this edition of SAMJ.
The final conclusions are that it is important to ensure good response, treatment and adherence, type of medication, device and checking of technique are all critical. Stepping up of therapy should be done only after ensuring good adherence and technique. Once therapeutic response is achieved, medication administration has to be stepped down to improve ease of use and avoid unnecessary side-effects.
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Diagnosing asthma in children represents an important clinical challenge. There is no single gold-standard test to confirm the diagnosis. Consequently, over- and under-diagnosis of asthma is frequent in children. A task force supported by the European Respiratory Society has developed these evidence...-based clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis of asthma in children aged 5–16 years using nine Population, Intervention, Comparator and Outcome (PICO) questions. The task force conducted systematic literature searches for all PICO questions and screened the outputs from these, including relevant full-text articles. All task force members approved the final decision for inclusion of research papers. The task force assessed the quality of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
The task force then developed a diagnostic algorithm based on the critical appraisal of the PICO questions, preferences expressed by lay members and test availability. Proposed cut-offs were determined based on the best available evidence. The task force formulated recommendations using the GRADE Evidence to Decision framework.
Based on the critical appraisal of the evidence and the Evidence to Decision framework, the task force recommends spirometry, bronchodilator reversibility testing and exhaled nitric oxide fraction as first-line diagnostic tests in children under investigation for asthma. The task force recommends against diagnosing asthma in children based on clinical history alone or following a single abnormal objective test. Finally, this guideline also proposes a set of research priorities to improve asthma diagnosis in children in the future.
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Although asthma is very common, affecting 5–10% of the population, the diagnosis of asthma in adults remains a challenge in the real world, which results in both over- and under-diagnosis. A taskforce was set up by the European Respiratory Society to systematically review the literature on the dia...gnostic accuracy of tests used to diagnose asthma in adult patients and provide recommendations for clinical practice.
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Asthma is a very commom condition. It cannot be cured, but can controlled with effective medication, good technique, and good monitoring by the patients are having no or few symptoms, no attacks needingg hospital visits and no or little emergency reliever medication use. Another way of assessing ast...hma control is to do tests that measure the function of your lungs. These tests are sometimes also done to help with the diagnosis of asthma.
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a "risk factor" is something that increases your chances of getting a disease or condition. In the case of asthma there are two diffrent type of risk factors. There are risk factors for developing asthma , and there are separate risk factors for those who already have asthma getting a severe asthma ...attack. We like to refer to the second as "triggers for asthma attacks" instead of "risk factors" to avoid confusion.
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An allergy is when someone has a bad reaction to something in the enviroment that other people can tolerate. We get allergies when our bodies defence system hurt us instead of protecting us.
People with asthma should be encouraged to take part in any sport they choose. If someone with asthma is having difficulty with sport, it means their asthma may not be under control. You will need to see your doctor to review your controller treatment and the way you use your medications in oder to ...allow you to live your life to the full with no limitations on activities or sport.
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Myth: It’s better to ‘tough it out’ without taking asthma medication. The lungs do not get stronger or become better able to deal with asthma if a person tries to work through an attack without medication. In fact, the lung inflammation that goes along with an attack (see what is asthma) ...can cause permanent damage to the lungs. Always use medication according to the Asthma Action Plan. If you have questions, talk with your health care provider.
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Asthma is a long term illness of the lungs that causes the tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs (airways) to become swollen (inflamed) and produce lots of thick mucus.
In a person with asthma, the lung swelling (inflammation) makes the airways “twitchy”; this means they close easily... with certain things like viral infections, cold air, allergens, exercise, and smoke.
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