Treatment strategies for reducing asthma-related emergency department visits
Received 2 February 2005; received in revised form 4 August 2005; accepted 7 April 2006.
Abstract
Acute asthma exacerbations reflect inadequate long-term disease control. Treatment to control acute asthma exacerbations includes: 1) rapid reversal of airflow obstruction with bronchodilators and systemic corticosteroids and reversing hypoxemia with oxygen in the emergency department (ED); 2) preventing early relapse by prescribing beta2 agonists and oral corticosteroids at discharge and ensuring patients have an adequate supply of their other asthma medications; and 3) preventing future asthma exacerbations and ED visits through effective treatment in primary care. This article discusses each treatment and reviews the role of emergency physicians in treating patients to reverse airflow obstruction and prevent early relapse, future exacerbations, and ED visits by communicating the need for additional asthma control to patients’ primary care physicians.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia
Reprint Address: Joseph P. Ornato, md, Department of Emergency Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, 1250 East Marshall Street, PO Box 980401, Richmond, VA 23298-0401
Clinical Communications (Adults) is coordinated by Ron Walls,md, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
ABSTRACT