Asthma, Chronic Flashcards
Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory condition of the airways, associated with airway ______________ and variable _____________
hyperresponsiveness
airflow obstruction
What are the most frequent symptoms of asthma? (4)
- Cough
- Wheeze
- Chest tightness
- Breathlessness
Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) is characterised by ______________
persistent airflow limitation displaying features of both asthma and COPD
__________________ is characterised by persistent airflow limitation displaying features of both asthma and COPD
Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS)
Complete control of asthma is defined as no ______________, no ______________ due to asthma, no ______________, no need for _____________, no limitations on ______________, normal lung function (in practical terms forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and/or peak expiratory flow (PEF) > _______% predicted or best), and minimal side-effects from treatment.
daytime symptoms
night-time awakening
asthma attacks
rescue medication
activity including exercise
80
_____________ in overweight patients may lead to an improvement in asthma symptoms
Weight loss
Patients with asthma and parents of children with asthma should be advised about the dangers of ____________, to themselves and to their children
Smoking
*should be offered appropriate support to stop smoking
____________, can be offered to adults as an adjuvant to drug treatment to improve quality of life and reduce symptoms in patients with asthma
Breathing exercise programmes (including physiotherapist-taught methods and audiovisual programmes)
A stepwise approach to chronic asthma aims to stop symptoms quickly and to improve peak flow. Treatment should be started at the level most appropriate to _____________
initial severity of asthma
- The aim is to achieve early control and to maintain it by stepping up treatment as necessary and decreasing treatment when control is good.
What should be done before initiating asthma treatment with a new drug or adjusting treatment? (3)
- Consider if diagnosis is correct
- Check adherence and inhaler technique
- Eliminate trigger factors for acute attacks
A self-management programme comprising of a ______________ and education should be offered to all patients with asthma (and/or their family or carers), and should be supported with regular review by a healthcare professional
written personalised action plan
NICE (2017) treatment recommendations for adults apply to patients aged ______ years and over. BTS/SIGN (2019) treatment recommendations for adults apply to patients aged over ______ years
17
12
What is used as intermittent reliever therapy in patients with asthma?
SABA eg salbutamol or terbutaline; to be used as required
What is the drug class of terbutaline?
SABA
What drug class is salbutamol?
SABA
For those with infrequent short-lived wheeze, occasional use of ____________ may be the only treatment required
reliever therapy (SABA)
Patients using more than ________ short-acting beta2 agonist inhaler device(s) a month should have their asthma urgently assessed and action taken to improve poorly controlled asthma
one
A low-dose of ICS (maintenance therapy) should be started in patients who present with which features? (4)
- Using a SABA three times a week
- Symptomatic three+ times a week
- Waking at night due to asthma symptoms at least once a week
- Patients who have had an asthma attack in the last 2 years (BTS/SIGN 2019)
BTS/SIGN (2019) recommend that inhaled corticosteroids (except ciclesonide) should initially be taken _________ daily, however the same total daily dose taken _______ a day, can be considered in patients with milder disease if good or complete control of asthma is established
twice
once
*The dose of ICS should be adjusted over time to the lowest effective dose at which control of asthma is maintained
If asthma is uncontrolled on a low-dose of ICS as maintenance therapy, a ______________ should be offered in addition to the ICS
leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA—such as montelukast)
- BTS/SIGN (2019) instead recommend a long-acting beta2 agonist (LABA—such as salmeterol or formoterol fumarate) as initial add-on therapy to low-dose ICS if asthma is uncontrolled
What is the drug class of montelukast?
Leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA)
Response to treatment following introduction of a LTRA in addition to maintenance therapy should be reviewed after ___________ weeks
4-8
ICS + LABA therapy can either be given as fixed-dose regimens OR as a __________ regimen
MART (maintenance and reliever therapy)
Salmeterol and Formoterol are examples of ____________
LABAs
What are the advantages of a MART system? (2)
- Improve adherence
- Ensure the LABA is not taken alone without the ICS
- BTS/SIGN (2019) also recommend that a MART regimen should be considered in patients with a history of asthma attacks on a medium-dose ICS alone, or on a fixed-dose ICS and LABA regimen
If asthma is uncontrolled on a low-dose of ICS and a LTRA as maintenance therapy, a __________ in combination with the ICS should be offered with or without continued LTRA treatment, depending on the response achieved from the LTRA
LABA
If asthma remains uncontrolled on a ICS + LABA combination therapy (with or without an LTRA), offer _________________
to change the ICS and LABA maintenance therapy to a MART regimen, with a low-dose of ICS as maintenance
Beclometasone with formoterol is an example of a ____________
MART system
Budesonide with formoterol is an example of a ___________ system
MART
If asthma remains uncontrolled on a MART regimen with a low-dose of ICS as maintenance with or without a LTRA, consider ______________
increasing to a moderate-dose of ICS (either continuing a MART regimen, or changing to a fixed-dose regimen of an ICS and a LABA with a short-acting beta2 agonist as reliever therapy)
If asthma is still uncontrolled in patients on a moderate-dose of ICS as maintenance with a LABA (either as a MART or a fixed-dose regimen), with or without a LTRA, consider _______________ or ________________
Increasing ICS to high-dose as maintenance (this should only be offered as part of a fixed-dose regimen with a short-acting beta2 agonist used as reliever therapy ie NOT as a MART)
A trial of an additional drug eg LAMA or theophylline
(Or seek specialist advice)
Tiotropium is in which class of drugs?
LAMAs (long-acting muscarinic antagonists)
Under specialist care, BTS/SIGN (2019) recommend adding a regular _____________ at the lowest dose to provide adequate control in patients with very severe asthma uncontrolled on a high-dose ICS, and who have also tried (or are still receiving) a LABA, LTRA, tiotropium, or modified-release theophylline
oral corticosteroid (prednisolone)
Under specialist care, BTS/SIGN (2019) recommend adding a regular oral corticosteroid (prednisolone) at the lowest dose to provide adequate control in patients with _______________
very severe asthma uncontrolled on a high-dose ICS, and who have also tried (or are still receiving) a LABA, LTRA, tiotropium, or modified-release theophylline
Which drugs may be considered for use by specialists to achieve control and reduce the use of oral corticosteroids in patients with severe asthma? (2)
Monoclonal antibodies (omalizumab, mepolizumab, benralizumab, reslizumab)
Immunosuppressants (eg MTX)
______________ is a monoclonal antibody used for severe persistent allergic asthma
omalizumab
A _____________ should be started as maintenance therapy in children who present with any one of the following features: using an inhaled short-acting beta2 agonist three times a week or more, symptomatic three times a week or more, or waking at night due to asthma symptoms at least once a week
paediatric low-dose of ICS
If asthma is uncontrolled on a paediatric low-dose of ICS as maintenance therapy, consider a ____________
leukotriene receptor antagonist
- review the response to treatment in 4 to 8 weeks
If asthma is uncontrolled on a paediatric low-dose of ICS and a LTRA as maintenance therapy, consider ______________
discontinuation of the LTRA and initiation of a LABA in combination with the ICS
If asthma remains uncontrolled on a paediatric low-dose of ICS and a LABA as maintenance therapy, consider _____________
changing to a MART regimen
- with a paediatric low-dose of ICS as maintenance
If asthma remains uncontrolled on a MART regimen with a paediatric low-dose of ICS as maintenance, consider ______________
increasing to a paediatric moderate-dose of ICS
*either continuing a MART regimen, or changing to a fixed-dose regimen of an ICS and a LABA with a short-acting beta2 agonist as reliever therapy
If asthma is still uncontrolled on a paediatric moderate-dose of ICS as maintenance with a LABA (either as a MART or a fixed-dose regimen), consider seeking advice from an asthma specialist and the following options: (2)
- Increase the ICS dose to a pediatric high dose as maintenance (only offered as part of a fixed-dose regimen
- A trial of an additional drug eg modified-release theophylline
A ______________ as reliever therapy should be offered to children aged under 5 years with suspected asthma
short-acting beta2 agonist (such as salbutamol)
- A short-acting beta2 agonist should be used for symptom relief alongside maintenance treatment
Consider an 8-week trial of a paediatric ___________-dose of ICS in children presenting with any of the following features: asthma-related symptoms three times a week or more, experiencing night-time awakening at least once a week, or suspected asthma that is uncontrolled with a short-acting beta2 agonist alone
moderate