Severity, control, and responsiveness in asthma.

Stuart W Stoloff; Homer A Boushey

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2006.01.005

Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 16522451

Severity, control, and responsiveness in asthma.

Stuart W Stoloff·Homer A Boushey

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Guidelines for asthma management have proposed that initial treatment should be based on assessment of asthma severity. The treatments proposed for different degrees of asthma severity are essentially estimates of the intensity of treatment needed to achieve asthma control. Responsiveness to treatment is heterogeneous, however, even among asthmatic patients with asthma of similar severity. This heterogeneity calls attention to the importance of assessing asthma control and adjusting treatment accordingly. Application of a guidelines-based approach to asthma management thus requires general agreement on what is meant by severity, control, and responsiveness and requires further an awareness of asthma as causing symptoms and functional impairment in the present and also as causing risk of adverse events in the future.

Explore related subjects

Anti-Asthmatic Agents Asthma Humans Prognosis Severity of Illness Index Journal Article

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Stuart W Stoloff, Homer A Boushey. 2006. Severity, control, and responsiveness in asthma.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2006.01.005

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2007

Refill adherence for patients with asthma and COPD: comparison of a pharmacy record database with manually collected repeat prescriptions.

PURPOSE: To compare refill adherence data based on two different methods of data capturing, that is, manually collected repeat prescriptions and a pharmacy record database. METHODS: The study comprised a comparison of adherence data from manually collected repeat prescriptions of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drugs with fixed dosages dispensed in 2002 and the corresponding data from a pharmacy record database. Data were collected in the county of Jämtland in Sweden. Refill adherence was calculated for the different collection methods. RESULTS: Data from 285 manually collected repeat prescriptions for asthma/COPD drugs for 2002 showed that 35% of the prescribings had been satisfactory refilled, while 42% showed an undersupply and 23% an oversupply. The pharmacy record database had 490 prescribings for asthma/COPD drugs registered in 2002, 28% of these had a satisfactory refill adherence, while 43% showed an undersupply, and 29% an oversupply. Based on the database it could be shown that 11% of the individuals had used more than one repeat prescription of the same medicine during 2002. Based on the pharmacy record database for 1999-2002, it was shown that 29% of the prescribings had been satisfactory refilled whereas undersupply increased (53%) and oversupply decreased (18%) as compared to the 1-year data. CONCLUSIONS: Refill adherence determined from manually collected repeat prescriptions and from a pharmacy record database did not differ for a 1-year period. Four-year data might give a better overview of patients' refill adherence than 1-year data.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents↗

PubMed2007

In response to dosing omalizumab in allergic asthma.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents↗

PubMed2007

Does anti-IgE therapy help in asthma? Efficacy and controversies.

Omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against IgE, is clinically efficacious when it neutralizes almost all free IgE and reduces IgE receptors on basophils and mast cells. Asthmatic subjects on inhaled corticosteroids who are treated with omalizumab as an add-on therapy experience only modest benefits in symptoms and perhaps in quality of life, but the most significant effects are reductions in airway inflammation and in exacerbation rate. Airway obstruction and hyperresponsiveness do not change significantly. Although the magnitude of the beneficial effects is small, they are observed even in the most severe cases, particularly the reduction in exacerbation rate. The safety profile of omalizumab is very encouraging, although phase IV studies are ongoing to clarify the incidence of neoplasias. Because of its cost, omalizumab therapy may be most cost-effective in patients with severe and refractory asthma, particularly those with frequent exacerbations requiring hospital care. Further clinical studies are now evaluating the best place for omalizumab in the algorithm of asthma management.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents↗