Unmet Need for Oral Corticosteroids Use and Exacerbations of Asthma in Primary Care in Taiwan.

ABSTRACT: Patients with asthma are treated in primary healthcare facilities (PHCFs) in Taiwan, where the asthma control status associated with acute exacerbation (AE) and use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) and short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) inhalers remains unclear. A cross-sectional, close-ended, face-to-face questionnaire survey invited board-certified physicians who treat adult asthma patients in PHCFs. The contents of the questionnaire included three parts: rescue OCS to treat AE, regular OCS for asthma control, and AE-related adverse outcomes. There were 445 out of 500 physicians who completed the questionnaire, with 61% of them being non-pulmonologists. A substantial proportion of asthma patients needed rescue OCS or regular OCS each month, or ≥3 canisters of SABA inhalers per year. Approximate

SUBMITTER: Chen YW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9775049 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature