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Severe Asthma: Prevention is Better Than Cure

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Summary

Asthmatic patients during symptom-free periods almost invariably have abnormalities in lung mechanics and gas exchange. Tenacious secretions and mucosal thickening exaggerate maldistribution of ventilation and cause flow limitation in small airways. Hence, the maximal expiratory flow volume loop in these patients will show impaired flow rates at low lung volumes and many will show a widened alveolar-arterial 02 tension difference. Preventive treatment should be aimed at reversing these abnormalities.

The regular use of inhaled sympa thomimetics and oral theophylline preparations is justified in the symptom-free patient whose history suggests that he is susceptible to acute exacerbations. Such patients commonly experience an improved sense of well-being, increased exercise tolerance, and a decrease in the frequency and severity of their acute episodes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Respiratory Care Unit, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M56 1L7, Canada

    R. S. Goldstein, A. S. Slutsky &  A. S. Rebuck

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    R. S. Goldstein, A. S. Slutsky &  A. S. Rebuck

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  2. A. S. Slutsky
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  3. A. S. Rebuck
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Goldstein, R.S., Slutsky, A.S. & Rebuck, A.S. Severe Asthma: Prevention is Better Than Cure. Drugs 16, 256–267 (1978). https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-197816030-00007

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