This is the first episode of a new format called “IMJ On-Air” inspired by the RACP’s Internal Medicine Journal. Each episode will be have as guest-host a section editor or reviewer of the IMJ interviewing authors of a recent article. Often these will be Clinical Perspectives reviews which summarise the latest in management of major medical disorders. 

In this episode we have leading respiratory physicians from the Royal Melbourne Hospital presenting current best practice in the diagnosis and treatment of severe asthma. They explain why inhaled corticosteroids have become so ubiquitous and also the remarkable impact that monoclonal antibodies have made to the field. They also discuss the lifestyle factors that can be modified to improve outcomes, and why so many people with severe asthma go undiagnosed. Finally, they reflect on the lessons learned from the 2016 “asthma storm” that send 3000 people to emergency rooms in over a single evening. 

Key Reference
Overview of recent advances in asthma management [Witt 2022, IMJ]

Guests
Associate Professor Daniel Steinfort FRACP (Royal Melbourne Hospital; Principal Research Fellow, University of Melbourne)
Dr Ashleigh Witt (Royal Melbourne Hospital)
Associate Professor Nur-Shirin Harun FRACP (Royal Melbourne Hospital; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
Professor Jo Douglass FRACP FThorSoc (Director of Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital; University of Melbourne) 

Production
Written and produced by Mic Cavazzini DPhil. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Tree Tops’ by Autohacker, ‘Crossing Borders’ by Mindserver Unlimited. 

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