What is SABA?
Short Acting Beta Agonist
Example of SABA?
Albuterol
What is LABA?
Long Acting Beta Agonist
Examples of LABA?
Salmeterol
Formoterol
What is LTRA?
Leukotriene Receptor Antagonist
Example of LTRA?
Singulair
Montelukast
About how much of the US is affected by Asthma?
8%
~22 million people (Men and Women
Annual treatment costs of asthma in adults?
18 billion dollars
Total costs – Doubled (missing school/work)
What is the hygiene hypothesis?
Factors that have been implicated include urbanization, air pollution, passive smoking, and change in exposure to environmental allergens.
Children aren’t exposed to anything to build their immune system anymore
What are some components of the pathophysiology of asthma?
Recent research shows that asthma is…
NOT a single disease! Different phenotypes
Asthmatic Bronchioles are more ______ than normal bronchioles
Constricted
Some of the principal cells identified in airway inflammation include:
Mast cells Eosinophils Epithelial cells Macrophages Activated T lymphocytes
What can cause airway obstruction?
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Controversial pathogenesis.
The disease may be mediated by water loss from the airway, heat loss from the airway, or a combination of both.
How do you establish the dx of asthma?
How does the typical patient present?
What is Bronchoprovocation Testing?
Methacholine-Mannitol Testing
What is the standard method for evaluating patients with Exercised Induced Asthma?
Exercise Spirometry!
When doing PFTs are they definitive?
No, it could be within normal limits if they are having a good day.
Asthma is reversible (controversially speaking)
What might be a better measure than PFTs for asthma
Methacholine
If the test goes up 10% more after albuterol treatment, then we can assume
Asthma, regardless of absolute values
When do you suspect it’s not asthma?
When doing a physical exam on a patient with asthma or suspected asthma, what are you looking for?