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Asthma - Management
How should I assess an adult for airway reversibility?
- Assess forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and/or symptoms before and 15 minutes after inhalation of a short-acting beta2-agonist (salbutamol 400 micrograms by metered-dose inhaler delivered via a spacer, or 2.5 mg by nebulizer) at the time of assessment. A greater than 400 mL improvement in FEV1 strongly suggests underlying asthma.
- If response to inhaled salbutamol is incomplete, assess FEV1 after either inhaled corticosteroids (beclometasone equivalent 200 micrograms twice daily for 6–8 weeks) or oral prednisolone (30 mg/day for 14 days).
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on the British Guideline on the Management of Asthma: a national clinical guideline [SIGN and BTS, 2009].
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