emergencymedicineireland.co...
Worth 20 minutes of your time - not least because it explains why Mag Sulphate works and covers things like the dangers of IV salbutamol.
It's very honest about the poor evidence base for most treatments - which might help some of you feel more sane!
Cx
I should warn, it's a bit scary about how dangerous attacks requiring intubation are - but it's good that they appreciate it's dangerous!
Thanks Curiouser! I have never had, and hope I never will have, an attack that bad, but I have been given magnesium for an attack so it's interesting to see the evidence base for these treatments.
I recently came across this article (can't even remember why, think I was looking guidelines up) which I thought might interest some people so since you've started a thread for the curious amongst us, I'll add this. Again, interesting but scary - according to this my recent attacks ending in admission were worse than I thought (I'm a bit sceptical about some of that - they didn't seem THAT worried at the time, but then I suppose I did get admitted). It's aimed at drs and they do stress that asthma should be taken seriously, that all attacks should be assumed to be severe unless proven otherwise (if you're across the severity categories they say use the most severe one) and that guidelines are often not followed - that part does ring true judging by what I've seen on here and a little from my own experience.
Philomela, I just love the first line ""Asthma is a common disease and its frequency sometimes detracts from its potential seriousness."" it's so true. I know that the particular article is for healthcare professionals, however I feel that amongst most people I know,asthma it is seen to be very mild and ""just take blue inhaler"". My friend whom I happened to be talking about asthma with didn't know people could die from attacks until I explained it more fully.
Also I agree that everyone should be assumed to be severe..
I can't help but find everything incredibly interesting although terrifying. However, I like to always be in the know.
That's a very interesting article Philomela. Quite worrying how many of those guidelines doctors who have treated me in the past have ignored. I was admitted but have never seen a consultant. I'm lucky that once I was put on a high enough dose of seretide my asthma became more manageable.
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