For centuries the datura plant has been used for treatment of respiratory disease. The plant, also known as jimson weed or devil’s trumpet, is a potent member of the alkaloid family with antimuscarinic properties. American physicians in the 19th century would commonly recommend patients to smoke datura leaves for relief of asthma and obstructive airway… Read More…
In a new Clinical Problem-Solving article, shortness of breath, fever, and cough productive of yellow sputum developed in a 38-year-old woman soon after the birth of her third child. Although her symptoms initially resolved with antibiotics, an intermittent nonproductive cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath soon followed. It is important to consider a broad differential… Read More…
A soldier returns from deployment in Iraq. A non-smoker without a history of asthma or other lung disease, he begins to notice that he’s no longer able to complete the army exercise regimen without becoming short of breath. The onset is insidious, but the impairment real: he isn’t even able to meet the fitness standard… Read More…
If a treatment for asthma makes an asthma patient feel better, did it work? It’s hard to say, according to an article by Wechsler et al published this week in NEJM. The authors report the results of a randomized double-blind crossover pilot study comparing the effectiveness of four interventions: an active albuterol inhaler, a placebo… Read More…
“Asthma’s been bugging me again, Doc,” intones the 72-year-old woman in front of you, “Saw this ad in a magazine and I think it might help.” As Mrs. Jackson fishes the crumpled advert from her purse, you look at your clinic notes. Multiple co-morbidities, medication intolerances, and confessions of previous treatment non-adherence seem to stare… Read More…
In the Original Article, Randomized Trial of Omalizumab (Anti-IgE) for Asthma in Inner-City Children, Busse et al. found the introduction of guidelines-based therapy in all children decreased the number of days per fortnight that children had asthma symptoms. Treatment with omalizumab resulted in fewer days with asthma symptoms than placebo. Studies of inner-city children, adolescents,… Read More…
Our latest article in the Clinical Practice series, Emergency Treatment of Asthma, comes from Stephen C. Lazarus, M.D., at the University of California, San Francisco. Asthma is one of the most common diseases in developing countries and has a worldwide prevalence of 7 to 10%. It is also a common cause of urgent care and… Read More…
Evidence to guide step-up therapy for children whose asthma is poorly controlled by low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) has been lacking. In a crossover study of 182 children, Lemanske et al. attempt to determine which step-up therapy is best, and whether it can be predicted which therapy will induce a better response in a particular child…. Read More…
