Fast Five Quiz: Asthma Control and Long-term Outcomes
The GINA report notes that a history of one or more asthma exacerbations within the previous year is a well-established risk factor for future exacerbations, regardless of current symptom control. According to the same report, additional risk factors that similarly raise the risk for asthma flare-ups, regardless of how well symptoms are managed, include low socioeconomic status, poor adherence to medication, incorrect inhaler technique, reduced forced expiratory volume in one second, active smoking habit, and increased blood eosinophil counts.
Thrombocytopenia, low oxygen saturation at rest, and alcohol use disorder are not among the risk factors for asthma exacerbations that are independent of symptom control.
Learn more about working with patients to set and achieve long-term goals of asthma management.
The latest GINA report encourages healthcare providers to assess asthma symptom control at every opportunity, including during routine prescribing and dispensing. The report emphasizes the importance of directed questioning, given symptom frequency and severity and treatment goals can significantly differ between patients and other current recommendations. Frequency of asthma symptoms, night waking, and short-acting beta-agonist use for symptom relief are some suggested question topics included in the GINA report.
Learn more about asthma workup.
The GINA report lists three integral facets of impactful asthma self-management instruction: a written action plan delineating recognition and response to worsening asthma, symptom and/or PEF self-monitoring, and regular review by a healthcare provider. Self-management that includes a written action plan is associated with reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Although patients might find PEF monitoring helpful in certain circumstances, such as after an exacerbation or change in treatment, no specific frequency is endorsed.
Self-adjustment of medications is not a required part of guided asthma self-management. No significant difference in self-management effectiveness has been identified whether the patient self-adjusts medication or if changes are made by a healthcare provider. While regular review by a clinician is an essential factor in asthma self-management education, the exact interval of these reviews is not specified.
Learn more about control-based asthma management.
In the latest GINA report, patients' establishing goals for their asthma and treatments is a part of disease assessment and control during management. This can help patients achieve optimal long-term asthma outcomes.
Physician changes, medication dependency, and activity level modifications can be part of long-term control of asthma, but they greatly depend and vary based on the patient, their goals, and their treatment plan and are not always recommended.
Learn more about long-term goals of asthma management.
Editor's Note: This article was created using several editorial tools, including generative AI models, as part of the process. Human review and editing of this content were performed prior to publication. Lead image: Science Source
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