AB 97. Asthma around use

Asthma is one of major public health problems worldwide, regardless the level of development. Also, it is one of the most prevalent diseases in Serbia. There are no accurate data on asthma morbidity and mortality, but on the basis of the Serbian Health Insurance Fund evidence, the prevalence has been estimated at around 3% (n=220,000 patients). In the recent 30-year period, asthma mortality rate has reduced about two times and a half (from 6.3/100,000 to 2.5/100,000 patients in 2007), due to a global advance in both the diagnosing and treatment of asthma. In our country, asthma treatment protocols comply with the European guidelines (GINA). It is estimated that an accurate diagnosis of the disease is established in 66% of asthmatics, while the rest are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. About 35% of diagnosed asthmatics are treated with fixed treatment combinations (ICS/LABA). A worrying fact is that a yearly consumption of fixed combinations amounts to 3-4 pumps per patient on the average (bad compliance), while shortterm bronchodilators are applied 3 times and a half as frequent as recommended. Of the total of 6,894 patients treated in the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina in 2011, 119 had the diagnosis of asthma; of them, there were 40% (n=48) males and 60% (n=71) females. Eight of these patients were treated in the Intensive Care Unit, and three patients died of an acute exacerbation of the disease. We need the National guidelines for better prevention and control of asthma in our country.