Pearls from 3/30/21 Medicine LEADS

The March 30, 2021 session of Duke Medicine LEADS featured Loretta G. Que, MD, presenting "It's a "NO" Brainer: A "SMART"er Approach to Asthma."

Here are pearls and takeaways from the session:

  1. Use published recommendations to guide initiation of therapy and management of asthma. Current recommendations include an emphasis on SMART (Single maintenance and reliever therapy) in which patients receive a combination ICS-formoterol inhaler as both maintenance and quick relief therapy rather than short-acting bronchodilators alone as well as a stepwise approach to therapy.

  2. FeNO (Fractional exhaled nitric oxide) is considered an indirect biomarker of airway inflammation and is a test that can be used to aid in the diagnosis or approach to therapy when uncertain.

  3. Numerous biologic therapies are available in the treatment of severe asthma. Consider referral to the Severe Asthma Program for patients with uncontrolled disease on step 4-5 therapy. 

Watch the recorded session

Duke Medicine Learning, Education, and Discussion Series (LEADS) takes place each Tuesday at 12 p.m. Learn more and see schedule of upcoming sessions.

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