Acute asthma exacerbations: phenotypes and management

Charles B Cairns

doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2005.11.003

Back

Acute asthma exacerbations: phenotypes and management

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Acute asthma exacerbations: phenotypes and management

Charles B Cairns

Clinics in chest medicine, v 27(1), pp 99-108

01 Mar 2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccm.2005.11.003

PMID: 16543055

Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Additional Links

Abstract

Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use

Adrenergic beta-Agonists - therapeutic use

Anti-Asthmatic Agents - therapeutic use

Asthma - diagnosis

Asthma - genetics

Asthma - therapy

Humans

Phenotype

Severity of Illness Index

Acute asthma presentations account for 2 million emergency department visits annually in the United States. The causes for these presentations range from undertreated or unrecognized disease, to exacerbations of stable disease usually caused by recent exposure to triggers of exacerbations, to severe disease states unresponsive to conventional therapy. Indeed, many of these patients often exhibit both acute and chronic markers of severe asthma. The recognition of these phenotypes of acute asthma can enhance the management of these patients in acute and emergency settings. This article describes these potential phenotypes, reviews current therapies, and addresses the challenges of variability of therapeutic response in acute asthma.