Inhaled Drug Therapy-Associated Adverse Reactions in Obstructive Respiratory Diseases: A Review of a Decade of Reporting to the Portuguese Pharmacovigilance System

Inhaled medication used for treatment of chronic obstructive lung diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD, and Asthma-COPD overlap) may be associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The aim of this study was to characterise spontaneous reports (SRs) of suspected ADRs received by the Portuguese Pharmacovigilance System (PPS), from 2007 to 2017. Methods: Retrospective observational study of SRs associated with single substance and combination inhalers, analysed in terms of pharmacological class of the involved drugs, sex and age range of the involved patients, and seriousness and type of ADRs. Results: 230 SRs were analysed, accounting for a total of 599 suspected ADRs. Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta-2 agonist combination had the highest frequency in SRs (32.2%) and in ADRs (32.7%). There was a slight predominance in men (51.3%) and non-elderly adults were the most affected age group (39.1%). Most SRs were serious (70.4%). In total, “respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal diseases” ADRs were the most reported (19.5%), with “dyspnea” being the most frequent (4.8%). Conclusions: Most SRs were associated with controller medications and were expected. Most ADRs involved non-elderly adults, were serious and of respiratory nature and many were due to overuse of reliever medication.

The Management of Mild Asthma

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have been recommended as a maintenance treatment, either alone or together with long-acting inhaled β2-agonists, for all asthma patients. Short acting β2-agonists (SABA) are rapid onset bronchodilators, which provide symptom relief, but have no anti-inflammatory properties, yet are the most widely used as-needed reliever treatment for asthma, and often the only treatment prescribed. Asthma patients can find adhering to daily preventative medication with ICS difficult and will often revert to using as-needed SABA as their only treatment, increasing their risk of exacerbations. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of reliever medications that contain an ICS when compared to SABA as a reliever, or to maintenance ICS and SABA as reliever, in mild asthma patients.Nine studies were identified which have evaluated the use of ICS as a component of an as-needed reliever in patients with mild asthma. Four of the most recent studies compared the combination of ICS/formoterol to SABA as reliever.An ICS containing reliever medication was superior to SABA as reliever alone, and was equivalent to maintenance ICS and SABA as reliever, particularly in reducing risks of severe asthma exacerbations, in studies which compared these reliever options.SABAs should not be used as a reliever without ICS. The concern about patients with mild asthma not being adherent to maintenance ICS, supports a recommendation that ICS/formoterol should be considered as a treatment option instead of maintenance ICS, to avoid the risk of patients reverting to SABA alone.

Medicine detection with Low Frequency Electromagnetic Signals

This paper presents a new, non-invasive method to detect molecular structures inside materials . There have been different methods to detect molecular structures such as Chromatography, Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnet Resonance. A brief description of these methods is presented and how they are used. Then the new method is presented using an apparatus emitting low frequency electromagnetic signals. This paper presents how the frequencies are found, that are used to detect molecular structures. The method was applied for finding the frequencies of four pain-reliever medication. Discussion follows on the results. Conclusions are drawn and further work is proposed

Tactics of primary care physician in the management of patients with asthma in accordance with the latest changes in international and national guidelines

The article addresses to changes in the management of patients with bronchial asthma in accordance with international and national recommendations of 2019. The new management strategy for patients with mild asthma, the rejection of short-acting 2-agonist (SABA) reliever medication monotherapy in favor of an anti-inflammatory bronchodilator drug will improve disease control, patient compliance, reduce the risk of severe exacerbations and death. The use of the algorithm for diagnosing and management asthma by primary care physicians, developed by experts of the Russian Respiratory Society and the Russian Association of Allergologists and Clinical Immunologists, will reduce the time for diagnosing asthma, timely and correctly prescribe anti-inflammatory therapy and control the course of the disease.

Pharmacy Trial Program – Asthma and Rhinitis Control (PTP-ARC) trial: Statistical Analysis Plan

The Asthma and Rhinitis Control (PTP-ARC) is one of several Australian Government funded trials being conducted under the PTP. It aims to address the need to improve clinical outcomes for the population at risk of uncontrolled asthma, by extending the role of pharmacists in the delivery of primary health care services through a community pharmacy. This intervention targets three key factors associated with uncontrolled asthma: (i) poor adherence, characterised by underuse of preventer medication and/or overuse of reliever medication, (ii) suboptimal inhaler technique and/or (iii) uncontrolled allergic rhinitis. This document is a detailed statistical analysis plan which was finalised before unblinding.

Bronchiale Thermoplastie bei Asthmapatienten mit schwerer Obstruktion: Benefit und Komplikationsrisiko

Background: Randomized clinical trials of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) were conducted in patients with a baseline FEV1 greater than 50%. There is a paucity of data regarding BT in patients with more severe obstruction, and consequently these patients are often excluded from receiving BT. The purpose of this study was to compare safety and efficacy outcomes in a large cohort of patients with an FEV1 less than 50% with those of a cohort of less obstructed patients. Methods: Consecutive patients with severe asthma were drawn from the Australian BT Registry. Patients were grouped into (1) those with a baseline prebronchodilator FEV1 % predicted <50% (n = 32) or (2) those with an FEV1 ≥50% (n = 36). Adverse outcomes were defined as (1) remaining in hospital longer than the planned 24-hour admission posttreatment or (2) being readmitted to hospital for any cause within 30 days of a treatment. Efficacy outcomes were evaluated 6 months after BT. Results: More severely obstructed patients were no more likely to have experienced any adverse event. Significant improvements in Asthma Control Questionnaire score, exacerbation frequency, reliever medication use, and requirement for daily oral steroids were observed in both groups, and were of a similar degree. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that BT can confidently be offered to patients with asthma with an FEV1 that is 30% to 50% of predicted without risk of more frequent or more severe adverse events, and with the expectation of the same degree of response as patients with better lung function.