REVIEWS  CLINICAL ADVANCES IN COPD 

Minerva Pneumologica 2007 March;46(1):19-33

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The treatment of severe refractory asthma

Prys-Picard C. O., Niven R. M

North West Lung Research Centre University of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust Manchester, UK

Severe asthma is a disorder that causes significant morbidity and consumes a disproportionately large proportion of asthma healthcare resources. A number of terms are in use to describe the persistently symptomatic end of the asthma spectrum and these are discussed. The first step in severe asthma management is to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other previously unrecognised concomitant diagnoses. Modifiable factors exacerbating asthma severity should be identified and treated accordingly. The currently available array of asthma treatments is explored, along with some of the more cutting-edge and less well accepted strategies.