[Current bronchodilator strategies in the treatment of asthma]

The drugs used in asthma must act on the two major mechanisms of the disease: bronchial obstruction and inflammation of the airways. Two main classes of drugs are available to reach these targets: bronchodilators, headed by beta 2-stimulants, and anti-inflammatory drugs of the corticosteroid family. Bronchodilatation obtained with beta 2-stimulants is the first and most effective treatment of asthma. These drugs are usually administered by inhalation: metered-dose aerosols with or without inhalation chambers, or nebulization for severe asthma. Very high doses can be used without fear of side-effects, the principal objective of this treatment being to relieve bronchial obstruction. In the absence of rapid and lasting improvement, bronchodilators must always be combined with corticosteroids. In all cases medical supervision immediately following the asthma attack is necessary and the patient should subsequently be placed under the care of pneumologists.