Asthma Management in 2021

Respirology (Lungs & Breathing)

Patients with asthma are at higher risk of potentially life-threatening exacerbations, regardless of their disease severity. Most rely on rescue short-acting beta agonist (SABA) inhalers for symptom relief and do not take regular anti-inflammatory maintenance therapy. However, new evidence shows that using an anti-inflammatory reliever can improve outcomes. 

To support family physicians in caring for patients with asthma, Dr. Mohit Bhutani at the UofA worked with the PLP to develop and host two webinars on asthma in January 2021. The first webinar, Asthma management in 2021: New paradigms and approaches provided an update on current trends in asthma care, reviewed basic principles of approaches to asthma care, and discussed the profound recommendations of the Global Initiative on Asthma on the management of mild asthma, including COVID-19. The second webinar, Approaches to the management of difficult-to-control asthma, reviewed asthma control and barriers to achieving it, and discussed the role and benefits of using biologics to treat asthma, as well as the significant consequences of prednisone bursts.