Management of acute asthma exacerbations

BackgroundAcute asthma exacerbations are common events in the lives of asthmatics, and even the best-managed asthma patients will have acute asthma exacerbations. There are different levels of severity of exacerbations with corresponding management strategies the physician can use to treat acute events. These strategies, including some adjunctive therapies, are reviewed in this article. MethodsA review of the English-language scientific literature was performed regarding management of acute asthma exacerbations, focusing of published guidelines, meta-analyses, and database reviews. ResultsSymptoms of exacerbations are reviewed with attention to determining the severity of the exacerbation and the place of management, either at home or in a more acute care setting. Medical therapies for the treatment of each severity level are reviewed as to their effectiveness. Post-exacerbation care is also discussed. ConclusionAsthma exacerbations will happen and both the provider and patient need to be educated on how to manage these occurrences. Whether the patient is managed at home or in a hospital setting will be determined by the level of severity. Regardless of the medical therapies employed, continued focus should be on further prevention of additional exacerbations. (C) 2015 ARS-AAOA, LLC.