Therapeutics for airflow obstruction Flashcards
What are preventors and relievers?
Preventor = anti-inflammatory Reliver = bronchodilator
What are anti-inflammatories?
Corticosteroids
Cromones
Theophylline
What stops mediators and TH2 cytokines
Antileukotrines or antihistamines
Monoclonal antibodies - Anti-IgE, Anti-interlukin 5
What can calm twitchy smooth muscles - hyper-reactivity?
Beta2 agonists
Musarinic antagonists
What is the asthma treatment pyramid?
Reliever - beta2 agonist as needed
Preventor (1st line) - inhaled steroid such as beclomethasone
Controller (2nd line additive to ICS) - theyophylline, LTRA, LABA/LAMA, Anti-IgE/Anti-IL5
Oral steroid
When are coricosteroids used?
In asthma and COPD but may cause pneumonia in COPD due to local immune suppression and impaired mucociliary clearance especially with fluticasone due to prolonged lung retention
What is an example of an oral steroid?
Prednisolone has a low theraputic ratio and is only used for acute exacerbations not maintenance
What is an example of an inhaled steroid?
Beclomethasone has a high theraputic ratio which is used for maintenance monotherapy in asthma
How are corticosteroids used in COPD?
In a combo of ICS and LABA not as a monotherapy. This helps to reduce exacerbations in esoinohpilic COPD and optimises lung delivery
What are the actions of a spacer device?
Avoids the coordination problems with pMDI
Reduces oropharyngeal and laryngeal side effects
Reduces systemic absorption from swallowed fraction
Acts as a holding chamber for aerosol
Reduces particle size and velocity
Improves lung deposition
When are cromones used?
Only used in asthma - cromoglycate
Mast cell stabiliser - weak anti-inflammatory when compared to steroids
Cromoglycate effective in atopic children
Inhaled route only
Not used much due to poor efficacy
What is the role of leukotrines in asthma?
Increased mucus secretion
Eosinophil influx
Edema
Contraction and proliferation of airway smooth muscles
When are leukotrine receptor agonists used?
Only used in asthma as an anti-inflammatory
Montelukast - oral route, once daily, high theraputic ratio
Less potent anti-inflammatory than inhaled steroid
Used as a second line as a compltemntary drug to non steroidal anti-inflammatory additive inhaled steroid
Effective in allergic rhinitis
When are anti-IgE’s used?`
Omalizumab which prevents the binding of high-affinity IgE receptors and inhibits TH2 response and associated meditator release from basophils/mast cells
Injection every 2/4 weeks for asthma only
Only used in patients with severe persistent allergic asthma - a raised IgE
Very expensive
When is anti-IL5 used?
Mepolizumab
Blocks the effects of TH2 cytokine IL-5 which is responsible for eosinophilic inflammation in asthma
Injection every 4 weeks for patients with severe refractory eosinophilic asthma
Very expensive
Little effect on pulmonary function or symptoms but reduces exacerbations and oral steroid sparing effect