Asthma Flashcards
Define asthma
Heterogenous disease characterised by chronic airway inflammation
Symptoms
Wheeze
SOB
Chest tightness
Cough
Asthma
Viral infections Allergens Tobacco smoke Exercise Stress
Describe the pathological changes of the airway in asthma
Airway hyperresponsivnes Airway remodelling Goblet cell hyperplasia Mucous production SM contractility Proliferation of SM
Drugs
Relievers and controllers
Name the four classes of reliever drugs
Short acting beta 2 andrenoceptor agnoists SABA
LABA
Muscarinic receptor antagonists (SAMA, LAMA)
Controller drugs
Glucocorticoids
Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA)
Name types of combination therapy
LABA/GCS
LABA/LAMA
LABA/LAMA/GCS
Name the drugs you’d use from low symptom severity to high symptom severity
Low dose ICS
Low dose ICS/LABA
Medi/high dose ICS/LABA
Refer for add on treatment for example anti-IgE
Give two drugs which illustrate the advantage of using combination therapy
Formoterol (long acting beta agonist)
Budesonide (inhaled corticosteroid - ICS)
Name the main cytokines involved in asthma
IL 4
IL 5
IL 13
Name some further treatments
anti-IgE
anti-IL 5/5R
anti-IL4
Explain what IL 4, 5 and 13 do
IL 5 helps with eosinophil maturation in bone marrow and lungs
IL 13 and IL 4 help with migration of the eosinophil from the blood to the lungs
IL 13 also helps with migration of
What is the GINA criteria for antibody therapy?
blood eosinophil count above 150 microltires
Sputum eosinophil
FeNO above 20 ppb
Need for maintenance of oral corticosteroid therapy
What cells are involved in patients whose asthma is NOT driven by
Th2
neutrophil
