Using an inhaler for asthma can be lifesaving, but misuse of the device is common, putting patients’ lives at increased risk. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Thoracic Society, a strategy has been developed for a new educational program to teach patients how to use inhalers correctly.
Proper use of the device can prevent people with asthma and COPD from needing to be hospitalized, but according to the University of Chicago, 86% of patients do it incorrectly. The study, conducted at two Chicago hospitals, looked at 120 asthmatics using inhalers. Some of them were given brief instructions, others up to three rounds of demonstration and practice. Incorrect use in the first group – 11% versus 60% in the second. Exacerbations in the first group were 17%, while in the second – 36%. The scientists conclude that it is possible to improve the clinical picture in patients with bronchial asthma by conducting a more thorough educational program in hospitals. This is especially true for people with low levels of health literacy.
Comment: Previously, similar results about what asthmatics are doing wrong were published by scientists from Australia. An article on this topic can be found here.
Antibodies for asthma
More recently, the results of a study on the effect of the drug Nucala (English ” Nucala “) on severe patients with bronchial asthma were presented. This is the trade name for mepolizumab , which was administered subcutaneously to patients. After its administration, patients showed a significant improvement compared to placebo.
Also, in a study of 1192 patients, it was observed that people with higher levels of eosinophils – blood cells that play a role in causing inflammation of the lungs, which can lead to asthma attacks – experienced an improvement after using the drug.
Comment: We have already written about analogues of the aforementioned drug, in particular about Omalizumab . Attempts to promote monoclonal antibodies to the drug market in any form have already been made for more than 10 years. The same story has been observed with antileukotriene drugs, which are as expensive as they are useless. Not to mention serious side effects. Well, in this case, everything is doomed to failure from the very beginning, since the binding and elimination of antibodies will lead to their re-production in the body. In general, something like: drank – hangover – got drunk – drank – hangover again and so on. It’s all sad…