In an acute asthma exacerbation not responding to short-acting beta-agonists, what is the recommended next step?

In an acute asthma exacerbation not responding to short-acting beta-agonists, what is the recommended next step?

• A. Continue SABA
• B. Add Inhaled Corticosteroids
• C. Initiate Oral Systemic Glucocorticoids
• D. Avoid Triggers

Answer: (C)

In an acute asthma flare that doesn’t respond to short-acting bronchodilators, the priority is to quell airway inflammation quickly with systemic glucocorticoids. Giving an oral glucocorticoid (or IV if the patient cannot take pills) reduces airway inflammation, speeds recovery, and lowers the risk of relapse and hospitalization. For adults, a typical approach is prednisone 40–60 mg daily for 3–5 days, with IV methylprednisolone used when oral administration isn’t feasible. Inhaled corticosteroids help with long-term control but don’t act rapidly enough in the acute setting, and simply continuing bronchodilators without addressing inflammation isn’t sufficient. Avoiding triggers is important for prevention but doesn’t treat the current inflammatory spike.

In an acute asthma flare that doesn’t respond to short-acting bronchodilators, the priority is to quell airway inflammation quickly with systemic glucocorticoids. Giving an oral glucocorticoid (or IV if the patient cannot take pills) reduces airway inflammation, speeds recovery, and lowers the risk of relapse and hospitalization. For adults, a typical approach is prednisone 40–60 mg daily for 3–5 days, with IV methylprednisolone used when oral administration isn’t feasible. Inhaled corticosteroids help with long-term control but don’t act rapidly enough in the acute setting, and simply continuing bronchodilators without addressing inflammation isn’t sufficient. Avoiding triggers is important for prevention but doesn’t treat the current inflammatory spike.