REVIEW  XII PNEUMOLAB PROCEEDINGS Free access

Minerva Medica 2017 June;108(3 Suppl 1):13-7

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4806.17.05323-X

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Role and challenges of severe asthma services: insights from the UK registry

Giuseppe F. SFERRAZZA PAPA ^{1, 2} ✉, Manlio MILANESE ³, Fabrizio M. FACCHINI ⁴, Ilaria BAIARDINI ⁵

¹ Respiratory Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; ² Casa di Cura del Policlinico, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Milan, Italy; ³ Pneumology Unit, S. Corona Hospital, Pietra Ligure, Savona, Italy; ⁴ Medicine Unit, Vittorio Veneto Hospital, Treviso, Italy; ⁵ Allergy and Respiratory Diseases Clinic (DIMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Severe bronchial asthma affects at least 5% of the asthmatic population and remains a clinical challenge. Data from the UK National Registry for Severe Asthma suggest that dedicated centers may improve asthma control, quality of life, reduce healthcare use and oral steroid burden. A multidisciplinary approach through complete lung function evaluation, optimization of adherence to treatment and immunological characterization are key issues to improve patients’ care. In this paper, we provide an overview of the challenges of managing patients with severe asthma and the role of dedicated services.

KEY WORDS: Quality of life - Asthma - Bronchial diseases