The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7297 p535
1 May 2004

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BTS/SIGN asthma update

Inhaled steroids should be used in milder cases of asthma than previously recommended, says the British Thoracic Society and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.

BTS and SIGN have released the first update to their guideline on the management of asthma that was published in February 2003 (PJ, 1 February 2003, p141).

The main revisions are that inhaled steroids should be considered for patients:

· With exacerbation of asthma in the past two years
· Who use inhaled beta₂ agonists three times a week or more
· Who experience symptoms of asthma three times a week or more, who wake at least one night a week

The updated guideline is available at www.sign.ac.uk or www.brit-thoracic.org.uk (see also here)