Respiratory physicians have two new resources to help them implement the latest national guidelines on asthma management.

The National Asthma Council Australia’s Quick Reference Guide [link here] provides a summary of the key recommendations and information on asthma in adults and adolescents from its updated Australian Asthma Handbook.

These include visuals on the step-by-step control-based approach to asthma management and reference tables with dosing regimens for anti-inflammatory reliever therapy (AIR-only) and maintenance-and-reliever therapy (MART).

A new inhaler technique for people with asthma or COPD information paper [link here] provides a list of available inhaler types and brands, as well as advice on how to train patients in correct inhaler technique along with detailed checklists.

Clinical Associate Professor Debbie Rigby.

Clinical Associate Professor Debbie Rigby, the National Asthma Council’s clinical executive, said the resources were important considering the evolving complexity of asthma guidelines and treatment regimens, which included the shift towards inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)-containing therapy for all adults and adolescents.

“It is concerning that most patients with asthma or COPD do not use their inhalers properly, and most have not had their technique checked or corrected by a health professional. Evidence shows that inhaler technique improves most when patients are activated rather than simply instructed once or told to read the instructions.

“Doctors should check inhaler technique at every opportunity, and the PBS requires that inhaler technique is assessed prior to ‘stepping up’ a patient’s medication regimen,” she said.