[Asthma therapy by the general practitioner--new approaches and progress. Why inhaled steroids and delayed action beta-2 adrenergic drugs should be combined early on].
Early treatment with high-dose inhaled steroids can significantly improve the prognosis of asthma. Inhaled steroids used to treat inflammation of the mucosa, and hyperreactivity may be reduced only under careful surveillance. Hig-dose initial treatment must be followed by low-dose maintenance therapy. The best therapeutic results are obtained with a combination of inhaled steroids and long-acting beta-2-adrenergic agents. Careful titration of the dose and therapeutic effects is a major task for the family doctor. Bronchial inflammation and reactivity are dependent on external factors, and are rarely stable. The most important therapeutic basis is, therefore, continuous management involving both the patient and the family doctor. The patient should be provided with relevant information on his/her disease and its treatment. A prerequisite for the effective management of asthma is the provision of individual peak-flow-adjusted and emergency plans.
Petro
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Klinik Bad Reichenhall der Landesversicherungsanstalt Niederbayern-Oberpfalz, Fachklinik für Erkrankungen der Atmungsorgane, Allergien und für Orthopädie.
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005194:Family Practice; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans
D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D005938:Glucocorticoids