Asthma Variants

Chronic Persistent Asthma:

”Oral administration of any of these [antileukotriene] drugs to pts with chronic persistent asthma improves airway function, decreases the need for rescue treatment with beta-adrenergic agonists, relieves symptoms of asthma, decreases frequency of exacerbations requiring oral glucocorticoid therapy, and decreases dose of inhaled glucocorticoid thus exerting a glucocorticoid-sparing effect.”


Allergen-Induced Asthma:

“Cysteinyl-leukotriene antagonists have not proved effective in inhibiting allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, measured 24 hours after administration of allergen.”


Nasal Polyps, Asthma, and Aspirin Hypersensitivity:

“The association of nasal polyps, bronchial asthma, and aspirin sensitivity has been well established.” Don’t give NSAIDs… we don’t know if Cox-2 specific inhibitors are ok to give to asthmatics.


Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm: the degree of protection achieved with leukotriene modifiers varies among patients.


Aspirin-Induced Asthma: Pretreatment with CysLT1-receptor antagonists, or 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors prevented the bronchoconstrictor response after administration of aspirin (aspirin-induced asthmatics).

Category: Pharmacology Notes