Family Physicians’ Awareness of the Burden of Oral Corticosteroids in Asthma Patients

Abstract

Objective. The objective of this study was to identify when family physicians decide to prescribe oral corticosteroids (OCS) to treat asthma, to establish the factors affecting their decision, and how familiar family physicians are with the side effects of OCS. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among physicians that are members of the Slovenian Family Medicine Society. Results. The study included 122 family physicians from all 12 Slovenian regions. The great majority (86.9%) reported they had previously prescribed OCS to asthma patients. The largest share of these (45.1%) tended to prescribe a limited number of tablets, although many (42.6%) also prescribed the entire pack. Regarding the adverse effects associated with OCS, the physicians listed a range of potential problems, highlighting hyperglycemia and exacerbated diabetes, the impact on bone density, a suppressed immune system and increased risk of infection as the most common. Conclusion. In the future, it is vital to improve family physicians’ awareness of when OCS may be prescribed to treat severe asthma, and to define the clinical pathway for severe asthma, which should also involve interdisciplinary collaboration.