Many asthmatic patients have significant nasal problems and proper management requires treatment of both the upper and the lower airway disease. Abstract 9 shows that a pharmacist can improve the management of a chronic condition like asthma in an HMO setting. Abstract 10 shows the benefit of an asthma education program. Abstract 11 indicates that long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids is not totally free of risk. Post-menopausal women, already risk for osteoporosis, may when on steroids get loss of bone mineral density.
Risk is related to dose.
The Effect of Asthma Education on Outcomes of Asthma. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of education on indicators of asthma management including hospitalization rates, urgent care visits, medication use, and quality of life. Prior to initial and follow-up sessions a questionnaire was administered and MDI technique observed. Hospitalizations, ED visits, and pharmacy data were analyzed using the medical center database. For patients recruited from the ED, results were compared to those of age-matched controls seen in the ED for asthma.