New resources on five key asthma topics are now available as a ‘go-to’ summary reference for the diagnosis and management of the respiratory condition.
The information sheets cover topics identified in the National Asthma Council (NAC) Australia’s updated Australian Asthma Handbook.
They include:
- Overcoming Australia’s over-reliance on ‘blue puffers’ for asthma
- Anti-inflammatory reliever is the recommended starting treatment for asthma
- Maintenance-and-reliever therapy for asthma
- Oral corticosteroid use in asthma: what’s safe and appropriate?
- Triple therapy for asthma in primary care.
The resources include key questions to be considered, quick reference tables and key messages to communicate to patients.
Dr Brett Montgomery, Chair of NAC Australia Guidelines Committee, said the resources would be highly valuable to GPs. He said the latest handbook recommended some significant changes and sometimes patients could be sceptical or fearful of change.
“These five new information sheets are a suite of resources aimed at supporting primary health professionals to implement the Australian Asthma Handbook V3.0 recommendations into routine practice.
“The ‘key messages for patients’ in these resources will be really handy in my practice, as I’ll be able to show patients in plain language that the changes I’m suggesting are backed by evidence and experts.”
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Dr Montgomery said the emphasis in the updated guidelines was clear on eliminating short-acting beta2 agonist (SABA-only) treatment and embedding anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR-only) and maintenance-and-reliever therapy (MART) approaches as standard care for adults and adolescents.
Clinical Associate Professor Debbie Rigby, clinical executive lead NAC, said suboptimal asthma control was prevalent in Australia and greater awareness of evidence-based guidelines and options for best practice management would help alleviate poorly controlled asthma in the community.
“The therapeutic approach to asthma has changed over the last decade, with a focus on alleviating chronic inflammation in the airways, not just addressing symptoms,” she said.
“These resources will support clinicians with the implementation of the guidelines,” she said.
Professor Rigby stressed that while the information sheets provided a handy summary of key recommendations and information, for detailed guidance on asthma care, the Australian Asthma Handbook should be consulted.
The resources are available on National Asthma Council Australia’s website.
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