List I - Core Conditions Flashcards
Which factors should be considered in a initial structured clinical assessment of asthma?
- Episodic symptoms - more than one of wheeze, breathlessness, chest tightness and cough occurring in episodes
- Wheeze confirmed by a healthcare professional on auscultation
- Evidence of diurnal variability
- Atopic history
- Absence of symptoms, signs or clinical history to suggest alternative diagnosis
In patients with a high probability of asthma, how should they be managed?
- Record as likely to have asthma
- Commence a carefully monitored treatment - typically 6 weeks of ICS
- Assess patient’s status with a validated symptom questionnaire, ideally corroborated with lung function tests (FEV1 or serial peak flows)
- Good response to treatment, confirm diagnosis of asthma
- Poor response to treatment, check inhaler technique and adherence, arrange further tests and consider alternative diagnosis
In patients with a low probability of asthma, how should they be managed?
- Investigate for alternative diagnosis
- Reconsider asthma if the clinical picture changes or an alternative diagnosis is not confirmed
- If reconsidering asthma, undertake or refer for further tests to investigate for a diagnosis of asthma
What is the validated symptom control questionnaire?
- Examples include:
- Asthma control questionnaire
- Asthma control test
What is the testing method for investigating intermediate probability of asthma in adults, and in children old enough to produce reliable results on testing?
- Spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility
In adults and children with intermediate probability of asthma and airways obstruction identified through spirometry, what can be done to manage them?
- Undertake reversibility tests and/or a monitored initiation of treatment assessing the response to treatment by repeating lung function tests and objective measures of asthma control
In adults and children with intermediate probability of asthma and normal results identified through spirometry, what can be done to manage them?
- Undertake challenge tests and/or measurement of FeNO to identify eosinophilic inflammation
For children under 5 years who and/or who are unable to undertake spirometry, how can a diagnosis or asthma be made?
- Watchful waiting with review - for children with mild intermittent wheeze, reasonable to give no maintenance treatment and plan review after an agreed interval period with the parents/carers
- Monitored initiation of treatment for a specified period
- Monitor treatment for six to eight weeks and if there is clear evidence of clinical improvement, continue treatment and diagnose as asthma
In which situation should specialist referral be considered when diagnosing asthma?
- Referral tests not available in primary care
- Red flags and indicators of other diagnoses
- Patient or parental anxiety or need for reassurance
What are the red flags in asthma for adults to trigger specialist referral?
- Prominent systemic features ( myalgia, fever, weight loss)
- Unexpected clinical findings (crackles, clubbing, cyanosis, cardiac disease, monophonic wheeze or stridor)
- Persistent non-variable breathlessness
- Chronic sputum production
- Unexplained restrictive spirometry
- Chest x-ray shadowing
- Marked eosinophilia
What are the red flags in asthma for children to trigger specialist referral?
- Failure to thrive
- Unexplained clinical findings (focal signs, abnormal voice or cry, dysphagia, inspiratory stridor)
- Symptoms present from birth or perinatal lung problem
- Excessive vomiting or posseting
- Severe upper respiratory tract infection
- Persistent wet or productive cough
- Family history of unusual chest disease
- Nasal polyps
Which symptoms influence the future risk of pre-school children developing persistent asthma?
- Age at presentation - early onset wheeze <2yrs the better the prognosis
- Gender - males at greater risk (although boys more likely to grow out of their asthma)
- Coexistence of atopic disease
- Family history of atopy
- Abnormal lung function - persistent reductions in baseline airway function are associated with asthma in adult life
What are the components of an asthma review?
- Current control
- Bronchodilator use
- Validated symptom score
- Time off work/school due to asthma
- Future risk of attacks
- Past history of attacks
- Oral corticosteroid use
- Prescription data
- Exposure to tobacco smoke
- Tests/investigations
- Lung function
- Growth
- Management
- Inhaler technique
- Adherence
- Non-pharmacological management
- Pharmacological management
- Supported self-management
- Education/discussion about self management
- Provision/revision of a written personalised asthma action plan
What does a supported self management plan include for a person diagnosed with asthma?
- Patient education
- Personalised asthma action plan
- Specific advice about recognising loss of asthma control
- Actions to take if asthma deteriorates including emergency help
What is the aim of pharmacological management of asthma?
- Control the disease (defined as):
- No daytime symptoms
- No night-time awakening due to asthma
- No need for rescue medication
- No asthma attacks
- No limitations on activity including exercise
- Normal lung function (FEV1 and/or PEF >80% predicted or best)
- Minimal side effects from medication
What is the approach to the pharmacological management of asthma?
- Start treatment at the level most appropriate to initial severity
- Achieve early control
- Maintain control by:
- Increasing treatment as necessary
- Decreasing treatment when control is good
- Before starting new drug therapy check adherence with existing therapies, check inhaler technique and eliminate trigger factors
In adults what is the step wise management of asthma according to the BTS/SIGN guidelines?
Diagnosis and assessment - monitored initiation of treatment with low dose ICS
- Short acting B2 agonist as required throughout unless using MART - consider moving up if using 3 doses a week or more
1 - Regular preventer - low dose ICS
2 - Initial add on therapy - add LABA to low dose ICS (fixed dose or MART)
3 - Additional controller therapies - Consider: increasing ICS to medium dose or adding LTRA
If no response to LABA consider stopping LABA
4 - Specialist therapies - refer patient for specialist care
In children what is the step wise management of asthma according to the BTS/SIGN guidelines?
Diagnosis and assessment - monitored initiation of treatment with very low dose to low dose ICS
- Short acting B2 agonist as required throughout - consider moving up if using 3 doses a week or more
1 - Regular preventer - very low (paeds) dose ICS (or LTRA <5 years)
2 - Initial add on therapy - very low (paeds) dose ICS plus children >5 years add inhaled LABA or LTRA. Children <5 - add LTRA
3 - Additional controller therapies
- Consider: increasing ICS to low dose or children >5 adding LTRA or LABA. If no response to LABA consider stopping LABA4 - Specialist therapies - refer patient for specialist care
What are examples of ICS?
- Clenil Modulite pMDI (Beclometasone dipropionate)
- Very low dose 50mcg x 2 puffs twice a day
- Low dose 100mcg x 2 puffs twice per day
- Medium dose 200mcg x 2 puffs twice per day
- High dose 250mcg x 2 puffs twice per day
What is the recommended method of delivery of B2 agonists and ICS in young children?
- A spacer
How should a spacer be used and maintained?
- Should be compatible with the pMDI being used
- Drug should be administered by repeated single actuations of the metered dose inhaler into the spacer, each followed by inhalation
- Should be minimal delay between pMDI actuation and inhalation
- Tidal breathing as single breaths
- Spacers should be cleaned monthly rather than weekly or performance is adversely affected - washed with detergent and allowed to dry in the air, the mouth piece should be wiped clean of detergent before use
- Drug delivery via a spacer may vary significantly due to static charge
- Plastic spacers should be replaced at least every 12 months but some may need changing at 6 months
In personalised asthma action plans for adults what is the advice at the onset of an asthma attack?
- Consider advising quadrupling ICS at the onset of an asthma attack and for 14 days in order to reduce the risk of needing oral steroids
Who should ICS be considered for?
Anyone with any of the following asthma related features:
- Asthma attack in the last two years
- Using inhaled B2 agonists x 3 per week or more
- Symptomatic x 3 per week or more
- Waking one night a week
How should mild asthma attacks be managed in children outside of hospital?
- Two to four puffs of salbutamol (100mcg via pMDI and spacer)
* Stage 2 - moderate
* Pulmonary embolism