Overuse of corticosteroids is an important problem not only in asthma but also the management of other airways diseases including bronchiectasis and COPD and results in associated risks of serious side effects and irreversible harm. We report a pilot using an in-reach solution to review patients, optimise their care and facilitate early discharge. We discharged >20% of our patients immediately, which is potentially a significant reduction in hospital bed use and, most importantly, through this approach we were able to establish early diagnosis and reduce inappropriate oral corticosteroid use.
References
- Blakey J, Chung LP, McDonald VM, Ruane L, Gornall J, Barton C, et al. Oral corticosteroids stewardship for asthma in adults and adolescents: A position paper from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. Respirology. 2021;26(12):1112-30.
- Castle L, Azzopardi L, Bhattacharya M, Baverstock M, Worrall L, Mukherjee R. Alternative primary diagnoses are a major challenge in the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2009; 179: A1516.
- Cass A, Mansur A. P205 Elective inpatient systematic evaluation of difficult to treat asthma; case series demonstrating the clinical value and improved patients outcomes. Thorax. 2021;76(Suppl 2):A178-A9.
- Alqahtani JS, Njoku CM, Bereznicki B, et al. European Respiratory Review Jun 2020, 29 (156) 190166; DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0166-2019.
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