Primary Care Asthma Management: Inhaled Corticosteroids and Other Clinical Pearls

Most children in the United States with intermittent, mild, and moderate persistent asthma are cared for by primary care practitioners (PCPs). Despite inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) being highly effective at controlling asthma symptoms, many PCPs are uncomfortable prescribing these medications. Cumbersome guidelines, increasing numbers of medication choices, and concerns regarding side effects are some of the barriers to prescribing ICS for children with asthma. This article serves as a quick-start guide for PCPs that (1) condenses the routine diagnosis and management of asthma into concise clinical tools for children who would benefit from ICS therapy and (2) provides clinical pearls to aid in the treatment of mild- to moderate-persistent asthma. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(2):e34-e39.].