The current place of β -agonists in the management of asthma.

Autor: Svedmyr, Nils
Zdroj: Lung; 1990, Vol. 168, p105-110, 6p
Abstrakt: Inhaled β -stimulants are the most effective drugs for acute asthma attacks. This is probably due to the functional antagonism against a large variety of possible asthma mediators. A slight rebound increase of bronchial hyperreactivity 12 to 23 h after stopping regular treatment has been proposed. This finding is not well documented and must be further studied. There is no convincing evidence that tachyphylaxis of clinical importance to the bronchodilating effect occurs in asthmatics receiving normal doses of β -receptor stimulants but cannot be totally excluded. Candidates for regular inhaled β -agonist treatment always have inflammation in their airways and should be given inhaled steroids. Steroids not only seem to reduce airway inflammation and hyperreactivity but they also reverse β -receptor subsensitivity in experimental studies. Patients on purely prophylactic antiasthmatic drugs should be instructed always to carry their β -stimulants inhalers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index