World Asthma Day survey to help improve care for people with asthma

It is World Asthma Day (external site) and Asthma Australia is inviting asthmatics to complete a survey, with the aim of helping improve care for people with breathing difficulties and enhance their quality of life.

SCGH’s Dr John Blakey, Consultant in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine , also advises Asthma Australia and Asthma WA and spoke about the survey:

“The survey is focussed on the use of oral corticosteroids (like prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone), which are important medicines for those with serious asthma flareups but unfortunately can cause severe side effects from long-term or frequent use.”

Dr Blakey and his team have been studying their own workmates and peers:

“About 11 per cent of SCGH staff have asthma, far more than have e.g. diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease.

“We have been alarmed at some of the staff members that we see in the asthma clinic. They tolerate a high burden of preventable symptoms/harm and are often taking courses of steroid tablets that could have been avoided.”

Dr Blakey is also the lead author on the Thoracic Society paper on oral corticosteroid stewardship:

“This is a huge issue in Australia as tablet steroids are very commonly dispensed and lead to a massive amount of preventable harm including osteoporosis, mood disturbance, weight gain, heart disease.”

By raising the awareness of the harm of over-use of the “quick fix” of steroids and encouraging them to seek the effective preventative treatments available, Dr Blakey and his team hope to keep them well (and at work), in the long run.

Read the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Position Paper: Oral corticosteroids stewardship for asthma in adults and adolescents (external site).