Asthma treatment by practitioners in Lahore-Pakistan
Asthma treatment by practitioners in Lahore-Pakistan
SYED SHAHID IMRAN BUKHARI1&2* & ZULFIQAR ALI 2
ABSTRACT
The main objective of the study was to investigate the prescription habits of general practitioners dealing with asthma in Lahore. Among 200 practitioners, 166 (83%) responded. One hundred and sixty six asthmatic subjects were selected and given to the practitioners at Gulab Devi hospital, Lahore. Practitioners were asked for a prescription for each subject and also to write views on dietary restrictions in asthmatics. The practitioners prescribed totally thirty patterns of short acting β-2 agonist and 16 patterns of steroid treatments. Only 39% of practitioners recommended corticosteroids for asthma symptoms persistence. Majority of practitioners were not well aware of the treatment options in spite of preventive therapy (prescription for long-acting β-2 agonists was 8%, inhaled corticosteroid was 6% and theophyllines 13%). In Lahore, practitioners did not follow guidelines regarding the management of asthma. There was found misconceptions regarding diet restriction. Deficiency of relevant knowledge regarding asthma medication has been associated due to a misunderstanding with dietary habits and inhalers use.
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