The statement of the Polish Society of Allergology experts on the treatment of difficult-to-treat asthma.

The statement of the Polish Society of Allergology experts on the treatment of difficult-to-treat asthma. Pneumonol Alergol Pol. 2015;83(4):324-34 Authors: Bodzenta-Łukaszyk A, Fal AM, Jassem E, Kowalski ML, Kuna P, Kupczyk M Abstract The main objective of asthma treatment is to control symptoms of the disease; however, despite the availability of guidelines and many groups of medications, the degree of control of this condition is insufficient. In difficult-to-treat asthma, the optimal control cannot be achieved due to reasons independent of the disease. Factors worsening asthma control include: inadequate treatment plan (low therapy adherence and compliance), inappropriate inhalation technique, insufficient symptom control using the available classes of medications, incomplete response to treatment (non-responders, steroid-resistance), incorrect diagnosis of asthma or comorbidities, and environmental factors. In order to achieve the optimal asthma control, it is recommended to: take therapeutic decisions with the patient, assess the probability of non-compliance, perform detailed diagnostics and initiate treatment of concomitant diseases, carry out differential diagnosis of conditions mimicking asthma, educate the patient as to the inhalation technique and check it, eliminate unfavourable environmental factors, and modify current treatment. New treatment options for patients with asthma include: ultra-long-acting beta2-agonists, l...
Source: Pneumonologia i Alergologia Polska - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Pneumonol Alergol Pol Source Type: research