EDITORIALS
Recent advances in exacerbations of asthma
1 Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, MRC and Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, Imperial College London, London, UK
2 Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, University of West Indies, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago
Correspondence to:
Dr Annemarie Sykes, Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, MRC and Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W21PG, UK; Annemarie.sykes@imperial.ac.uk
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The major morbidity, mortality and health care costs associated with asthma are related to exacerbations. In order to reduce this massive healthcare burden, the prevention and treatment of exacerbations needs to be a greater focus for research. The following review is based on the presentations made at the first International Congress on Exacerbations of Airway Disease and summarises the current state of research on acute exacerbations of asthma.
The lack of a universally accepted definition for an exacerbation of asthma creates difficulties for interpretation of clinical research and trial results. Recently, an ERS/ATS task force addressed this, and to encourage uniformity defined moderate and severe exacerbations based on the actions of the patient and physician rather than symptoms (unpublished information). These definitions are a step forward for trial design and interpretation but it is acknowledged that no single definition will fit all clinical research needs.
Approximately 80% of asthma exacerbations
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