Asthma: Definition of severe cases and use of high dose inhaled steroids

Information from NICE’s Covid-19 rapid guidelines for severe asthma. This information was first collated and published on our sister title Pulse.

Definition

In rapid guidance produced by NICE in light of Covid-19, it says –

Be aware that severe asthma is defined by the European Respiratory Society and American Thoracic Society as asthma that requires treatment with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (see inhaled corticosteroid doses for NICE’s asthma guideline) plus a second controller (and/or systemic corticosteroids) to prevent it from becoming ‘uncontrolled’, or which remains ‘uncontrolled’ despite this therapy.

Download NICE’s accompanying tables on inhaled corticosteroid doses.   

Source: NICE, Covid-19 rapid guideline: NICE guideline [NG166] [published 3 April]

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