Asthma management guidelines of the Croatian respiratory society Croatian Medical Association and the Croatian thoracic society
Autori:
Sanja Popović-Grle, Žarko Vrbica, Marija Gomerčić Palčić, Ljiljana Bulat Kardum, Sanda Škrinjarić Cincar, Marina Lampalo, Eugenija Basioli Kasap, Suzana Mladinov, Đivo Ljubičić, Neven Miculinić, Miroslav Samaržija
Sažetak
Summary
Asthma is the most common lung disease, although with a smaller impact on the disability-adjusted life years, which represents the sum of the years of life lost due to premature mortality and the years lived with a disability, than some other lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Since it is a disease with a large public health impact on the working ability and quality of life of persons with asthma, as well as the consumption of significant health and financial resources, it is necessary to apply high-quality and standardised treatment. The basis of asthma treatment – the use of a basic antiinflammatory drug with the smallest dose that can maintain good control has not changed significantly compared to the last Croatian guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in adults, published about 15 years ago. However, in the meantime, in the global strategy for the management and prevention of asthma, there have been significant changes in the attitude towards the short-acting bronchodilator salbutamol, where it is no longer used alone in acute bronchospasm or when symptoms appear, without an inhaled glucocorticoid. Also, a significant progress has been made in the biological therapy of severe asthma, the importance of creating an asthma action plan has been recognised, as well as the emergence of new treatment options (fixed triple therapy), which is included in the new Croatian asthma treatment guidelines.