Also known as Bronchial Asthma
Asthma (from the Greek ἅσθμα, ásthma, "panting") is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Common symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
Source: WikipediaWithin all the people who go to their doctor with asthma, 74% report having cough, 61% report having shortness of breath, and 55% report having wheezing. The symptoms that are highly suggestive of asthma are wheezing, although you may still have asthma without those symptoms.
Patients with asthma often receive plain x-ray, nebulizer therapy, other diagnostic procedures (interview; evaluation; consultation), arterial blood gases (abgs), influenzavirus antibody assay, other respiratory therapy, other diagnostic procedures on skin and subcutaneous tissue and ophthalmologic and otologic diagnosis and treatment .
The most commonly prescribed drugs for patients with asthma include albuterol, prednisone, montelukast (singulair), fluticasone / salmeterol, fluticasone nasal product, ipratropium, prednisolone, budesonide, levalbuterol (xopenex), combivent, beclomethasone nasal product, terbutaline and pirbuterol (maxair) .
Albuterol | $46 (28 days) | |
Prednisone | $5 (28 days) | |
Montelukast (Singulair) | $115 (28 days) | |
Fluticasone Nasal Product | ||
Ipratropium | $66 (21 days) | |
Prednisolone | $15 (28 days) | |
Budesonide | $281 (28 days) | |
Levalbuterol (Xopenex) | $67 (21 days) | |
Combivent | $164 (28 days) | |
Beclomethasone Nasal Product | ||
Terbutaline | $47 (28 days) | |
Pirbuterol (Maxair) | $107 (28 days) |
Groups of people at highest risk for asthma include age 5-14 years, age 1-4 years and race/ethnicity = black.
< 1 years | 0.8x | |
1-4 years | 2.4x | |
5-14 years | 2.9x | |
15-29 years | 0.9x | |
30-44 years | 0.8x | |
45-59 years | 0.7x | |
60-74 years | 0.5x | |
75+ years | 0.3x |
Male | 1.1x | |
Female | 1.0x |
Black | 1.6x | |
Hispanic | 1.3x | |
White | 0.7x | |
Other | 1.1x |