Nordic consensus statement on the systematic assessment and management of possible severe asthma in adults

• Published in: European Clinical Respiratory Journal
• Main Authors: Celeste Porsbjerg, Charlotte Ulrik, Tina Skjold, Vibeke Backer, Birger Laerum, Sverre Lehman, Crister Janson, Thomas Sandstrøm, Leif Bjermer, Barbro Dahlen, Bo Lundbäck, Dora Ludviksdottir, Unnur Björnsdóttir, Alan Altraja, Lauri Lehtimäki, Paula Kauppi, Jussi Karjalainen, Hannu Kankaanranta
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2018
• Subjects: Asthma; severe; prevalence; diagnosis; co-morbidities; management; guideline; Diseases of the respiratory system; RC705-779; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/20018525.2018.1440868; https://doaj.org/article/4926c7d397314ef18054667f817030c7

Although a minority of asthma patients suffer from severe asthma, they represent a major clinical challenge in terms of poor symptom control despite high-dose treatment, risk of exacerbations, and side effects. Novel biological treatments may benefit patients with severe asthma, but are expensive, and are only effective in appropriately targeted patients. In some patients, symptoms are driven by other factors than asthma, and all patients with suspected severe asthma (‘difficult asthma’) should undergo systematic assessment, in order to differentiate between true severe asthma, and ‘difficult-to-treat’ patients, in whom poor control is related to factors such as poor adherence or co-morbidities. The Nordic Consensus Statement on severe asthma was developed by the Nordic Severe Asthma Network, consisting of members from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Estonia, including representatives from the respective national respiratory scientific societies with the aim to provide an overview and recommendations regarding the diagnosis, systematic assessment and management of severe asthma. Furthermore, the Consensus Statement proposes recommendations for the organization of severe asthma management in primary, secondary, and tertiary care.