The management of adults and children with moderate severity asthma

Abstract

Moderate severity asthma occurs in approximately 10 to 15% of patients with chronic reversible airway obstruction and is defined by more than four daytime symptoms per week, more than four night time symptoms per month and peak expiratory flow rates of between 60 and 80% of predicted values. Currently recommended first line chronic maintenance treatment for children and adults for moderate severity asthma is the use of combination therapy of inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta-2 agonists. Other agents such as leukotriene receptor antagonist, theophyllines and soluble TNF alpha-receptor blockers could be considered in special circumstances when adequate control is not obtained.