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Annual Congress of Malaysian Thoracic Society
PP 9
Asthma Status: How Well Controlled Are Our Patients?
Siti F Badlishah Sham 1 , Siti N M Ibrahim 1 , Nafiza Mat Nasir 1 , Farnaza Ariffin 1 ,
Mazapuspavina Md Yasin 1 , Maizatullifah Miskan 1 , Ambigga Devi 1 , Ng Kien Keat 1 ,
Raja Ahmad Shaharul Raja Malek 1 , Anis Safura Ramli 1 , Jemah Sajari 2 , Rozlan Ishak 3
1
Primary Care Medicine Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia
2
Klinik Kesihatan Taman Ehsan, Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia
3
Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah Gombak, Bandar Baru Selayang, Selangor, Malaysia
Background
The poor management of patients by healthcare professionals specifically in using the stepping up
pharmacological treatment based on current clinical practice guidelines greatly contributes to poor asthma
control.
Objective
To assess adult asthma control and treatment practices in public primary care clinics with reference to the
Global Initiative for Asthma Guideline (GINA 2010).
Method
A cross-sectional study assessing asthma control was carried out in two public primary care clinics in
Selangor from January to February 2011. Data were obtained by interviewing asthmatic patients (age ≥ 18)
using a modified questionnaire based on GINA 2010 which included demographic details, assessment of
current clinical asthma control (over past 4 weeks) and patients’ current treatments.
Results
100 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 47.09 years (SD+15.0) with a male/female ratio of
1:1.17 (46:54). According to the clinical assessment, 15% of respondents achieved controlled status whereas
35% and 50% achieved partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma status respectively. Forty-four percent of
respondents had a severe asthmatic attack within the previous six months, of which 14% required hospital
admission. Although a majority of patients (85%) did not achieve controlled status, only 22% of these patients
received step-up treatment, while 59% were maintained on their current treatment post consultation.
Conclusion
Asthma is still largely poorly controlled thus highlighting the need for remedial measures by healthcare
professionals to improve management of adult asthma according to available evidence and guidelines.
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