[Treatment of patients with acute asthma exacerbation]

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. The global prevalence of asthma ranges from 1% to 18% of the population, so it remains a common problem with enormous medical and economic impacts. In majority of patients, asthma can be well controlled with simple regimens of inhaled anti-inflammatory and bronchodilating medications. However, some patients tend to suffer from poorly controlled disease in terms of chronic symptoms with episodic severe exacerbations. Major factors that may be related to the emergency department visits and hospitalisation include prior severe attacks, nonadherence to therapeutic regimens, inadequate use of inhaled corticosteroids, poor self-management skills, frequent use of inhaled short-acting beta-agonists, cigarette smoking, poor socioeconomic status and age over 40 years. Severe exacerbations of asthma are life-threatening medical emergencies and require careful brief assesment, treatment according to current GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) guidelines with periodic reassesment of patient's response to therapy usually in an emergency department.