Information given to patients on drug use and utility
| Sympathomimetic drugs of short half-life, – β2-agonists – (e.g. salbutamol, terbutaline) |
| Fast-acting bronchodilator drugs useful for the control of acute asthma symptoms |
| Not useful for long-term asthma control |
| An increase in the daily requirement for β2-agonists means decompensation of the disease and, consequently, an increase in the need for anti-inflammatory agents to control the asthma |
| Sympathomimetic drugs of long half-life (e.g. formoterol, salmeterol) |
| Long-acting bronchodilator drugs |
| Should not be used for the control of acute asthma symptoms, which should be treated with salbutamol or terbutaline |
| Doses cannot be increased without the physician's permission |
| Theophylline |
| Bronchodilator drug |
| Doses cannot be increased without the physician's permission |
| Inhaled steroids (e.g. beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone) |
| Anti-inflammatory agent |
| Should always be used after bronchodilators |
| Very useful for achieving long-term stabilisation of the disease process; currently considered the most important medication for treating asthma |
| Does not relieve acute symptoms of asthma because rescue effect is lacking |
| It is necessary to take this medication regularly in order to have a normal life over the years |
| Oral steroids (e.g. prednisone, methylprednisone, deflazacort) |
| Anti-inflammatory agents which are sometimes necessary to stabilise exacerbations of acute asthma |
| Should be used appropriately following a physician's instructions |
| No need to be afraid of this modality of treatment if its use is adequate |
| Short-term courses are generally free from adverse events |
| Antibiotics |
| Acute episodes of asthma exacerbation are often confused with respiratory tract infections |
| Acute episodes of asthma exacerbation should be treated with anti-inflammatory agents and not with antibiotics |
| Antibiotics should be taken only in the case of bacterial decompensation with mucopurulent sputum (green) |