Asthma: Chronic Management. Yung-Yang Liu, MD Attending physician, Chest Department Taipei Veterans General Hospital April 26, PDF Free Download

Asthma: Chronic Management Yung-Yang Liu, MD Attending physician, Chest Department Taipei Veterans General Hospital April 26, 2015

Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention Evidence-based Implementation oriented Diagnosis Management Prevention Outcomes can be evaluated

Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention Evidence Category A B C D Sources of Evidence Randomized clinical trials Rich body of data Randomized clinical trials Limited body of data Non-randomized trials Observational studies Panel judgment consensus

Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention Definition and Overview Diagnosis and Classification Asthma Medications REVISED 2014 Asthma Management and Prevention Program Implementation of Asthma Guidelines in Health Systems

Burden of Asthma Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide with an estimated 300 million affected individuals Prevalence increasing in many countries, especially in children Poorly controlled asthma is expensive; investment in prevention medication likely to yield cost savings in emergency care

Food, additives, GERD

Asthma Diagnosis History and patterns of symptoms Measurements of lung function - Spirometry - Peak expiratory flow Measurement of airway responsiveness Methacholine provocation test Measurements of allergic status to identify risk factors Extra measures may be required to diagnose asthma in children <=5 years and the elderly

Asthma Management and Prevention Program: Five Components 1. Develop Patient/Doctor Partnership 2. Identify and Reduce Exposure to Risk Factors 3. Assess, Treat and Monitor Asthma Updated 2012 4. Manage Asthma Exacerbations 5. Special Considerations

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Goals of Long-term Management Achieve and maintain control of symptoms Maintain normal activity levels, including exercise Maintain pulmonary function as close to normal levels as possible Prevent asthma exacerbations Avoid adverse effects from asthma medications Prevent asthma mortality

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Asthma can be effectively controlled in most patients. Early intervention to stop exposure to the risk factors may help improve the control of asthma and reduce medication needs. Although there is no cure for asthma, appropriate management most often results in the achievement of control.

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Part 1: Educate Patients to Develop a Partnership Guidelines on asthma management should be available but adapted and adopted for local use by local asthma planning teams Clear communication between health care professionals and asthma patients is key to enhancing compliance

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 1: Develop Patient/Doctor Partnership Educate continually Include the family Provide information about asthma Provide training on self-management skills Emphasize a partnership among health care providers, the patient, and the patient s family

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 1: Develop Patient/Doctor Partnership Key factors to facilitate communication: Friendly demeanor Interactive dialogue Encouragement and praise Provide appropriate information Feedback and review

Example Of Contents Of An Action Plan To Maintain Asthma Control Your Regular Treatment: 1. Each day take 2. Before exercise, take WHEN TO INCREASE TREATMENT Assess your level of Asthma Control In the past week have you had: Daytime asthma symptoms more than 2 times? No Yes Activity or exercise limited by asthma? No Yes Waking at night because of asthma? No Yes The need to use your [rescue medication] more than 2 times? No Yes If you are monitoring peak flow, peak flow less than? No Yes If you answered YES to three or more of these questions, your asthma is uncontrolled and you may need to step up your treatment. HOW TO INCREASE TREATMENT STEP-UP your treatment as follows and assess improvement every day: [Write in next treatment step here] Maintain this treatment for days [specify number] WHEN TO CALL THE DOCTOR/CLINIC. Call your doctor/clinic: [provide phone numbers] If you don t respond in days [specify number] [optional lines for additional instruction] EMERGENCY/SEVERE LOSS OF CONTROL If you have severe shortness of breath, and can only speak in short sentences, If you are having a severe attack of asthma and are frightened, If you need your reliever medication more than every 4 hours and are not improving. 1. Take 2 to 4 puffs [reliever medication] 2. Take mg of [oral glucocorticosteroid] 3. Seek medical help: Go to ; Address Phone: 4. Continue to use your [reliever medication] until you are able to get medical help.

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Factors Involved in Non-Adherence Medication Usage Difficulties associated with inhalers Complicated regimens Fears about, or actual side effects Cost Distance to pharmacies Non-Medication Factors Misunderstanding/lack of information Fears about side-effects Inappropriate expectations Underestimation of severity Attitudes toward ill health Cultural factors Poor communication

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 2: Identify and Reduce Exposure to Risk Factors Measures to prevent the development of asthma, and asthma exacerbations by avoiding or reducing exposure to risk factors should be implemented wherever possible. Asthma exacerbations may be caused by a variety of risk factors allergens, viral infections, pollutants and drugs. Reducing exposure to some categories of risk factors improves the control of asthma and reduces medications needs.

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 2: Identify and Reduce Exposure to Risk Factors Reduce exposure to indoor allergens Avoid tobacco smoke Avoid vehicle emission Identify irritants in the workplace Explore role of infections on asthma development, especially in children and young infants

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Influenza Vaccination Influenza vaccination should be provided to patients with asthma when vaccination of the general population is advised However, routine influenza vaccination of children and adults with asthma does not appear to protect them from asthma exacerbations or improve asthma control

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 3: Assess, Treat and Monitor Asthma The goal of asthma treatment, to achieve and maintain clinical control, can be achieved in a majority of patients with a pharmacologic intervention strategy developed in partnership between the patient/family and the health care professional

Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention Clinical Control of Asthma The focus on asthma control is important because: The attainment of control correlates with a better quality of life, and reduction in health care use Determine the initial level of control to implement treatment (assess patient impairment) Maintain control once treatment has been implemented (assess patient risk)

Levels of Asthma Control (Assess patient impairment) Characteristic Controlled (All of the following) Partly controlled (Any present in any week) Uncontrolled Daytime symptoms Twice or less per week More than twice per week Limitations of activities Nocturnal symptoms / awakening Need for rescue / reliever treatment None None Twice or less per week Any Any More than twice per week 3 or more features of partly controlled asthma present in any week Lung function (PEF or FEV 1 ) Normal < 80% predicted or personal best (if known) on any day Assessment of Future Risk (risk of exacerbations, instability, rapid decline in lung function, side effects)

PEF meter

- PEF diary -

Differences between poor asthma control and AE

Assess Patient Risk Features that are associated with increased risk of adverse events in the future include: Poor clinical control Frequent exacerbations in past year Ever admission to critical care for asthma Low FEV 1, exposure to cigarette smoke, high dose medications

Any exacerbation should prompt review of maintenance treatment

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 3: Assess, Treat and Monitor Asthma Depending on level of asthma control, the patient is assigned to one of five treatment steps Treatment is adjusted in a continuous cycle driven by changes in asthma control status. The cycle involves: - Assessing Asthma Control - Treating to Achieve Control - Monitoring to Maintain Control

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 3: Assess, Treat and Monitor Asthma A stepwise approach to pharmacological therapy is recommended The aim is to accomplish the goals of therapy with the least possible medication Although in many countries traditional methods of healing are used, their efficacy has not yet been established and their use can therefore not be recommended

Asthma Management and Prevention Program Component 3: Assess, Treat and Monitor Asthma The choice of treatment should be guided by: Level of asthma control Current treatment Pharmacological properties and availability of the various forms of asthma treatment Economic considerations Cultural preferences and differing health care systems need to be considered

INCREASE REDUCE LEVEL OF CONTROL TREATMENT OF ACTION controlled partly controlled uncontrolled maintain and find lowest controlling step consider stepping up to gain control step up until controlled exacerbation treat as exacerbation REDUCE STEP 1 STEP 2 TREATMENT STEPS STEP 3 STEP 4 INCREASE STEP 5

TO STEP 3 TREATMENT, SELECT ONE OR MORE TO STEP 4 TREATMENT, ADD EITHER Shaded green - preferred controller options