This week Dr Ben Warner interviews Professor Tom Fardon on the topic of asthma. Through a case study, Prof Fardon discusses how to assess and treat a severe exacerbation of asthma and what needs to be considered when discharging patients. Tom and Ben also discuss diagnosing asthma and the treatments available to patients.

Professor Fardon is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at NHS Tayside and Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee. They are also Clinical Lead for the Scottish Government's Respiratory Specialty Delivery Group.

Dr Ben Warner is a Respiratory Medicine Specialty Registrar with clinical and academic experience of global public health. He is currently undertaking a PhD in multimorbidity in Malawi as part of the Wellcome-funded Multimorbidity PhD Programme for Health Professionals with the University of Glasgow.

--Useful Links--

Current NICE guideline on Asthma: Diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management - https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng80

Current BTS/SIGN British Guideline on the Management of Asthma - https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/quality-improvement/guidelines/asthma/

Upcoming SIGN updates - https://www.sign.ac.uk/our-guidelines/british-guideline-on-the-management-of-asthma/

BTS Clinical Statement on the medical management of inpatients with tobacco dependency - https://thorax.bmj.com/content/79/Suppl_1/3

Treatable traits approach in asthma - https://treatabletraits.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MJA-TT-Case-Final.pdf

Environmental impact of inhalers toolkit produced by ‘Greener Practice' - https://www.greenerpractice.co.uk/high-quality-and-low-carbon-asthma-care/

Greener Practice guide on reducing the carbon footprint of inhalers - https://s40639.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Reducing-Carbon-Footprint-of-Inhaler-Prescribing-v3.3.2.pdf

National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) - https://www.hqip.org.uk/resource/asthma-deaths-nrad-report-2014/

British Thoracic Society asthma attack care bundle - https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/quality-improvement/clinical-resources/asthma/bts-asthma-care-bundles/

Asthma exacerbations and sputum eosinophil counts: a randomised controlled trial - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11679-5

Clinical remission in severe asthma with biologic therapy: an analysis from the UK Severe Asthma Registry - https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/62/6/2300819

Low Dose Inhaled Budesonide and Formoterol in Mild Persistent Asthma - https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.164.8.2104102

Recording date: 22 May 2024

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