The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) public health partners from the Asthma Program and the INHALE team recently announced guidance around oral corticosteroids (OCS) use. OCS can be an effective tool to help manage asthma, however there are alternative treatment options with fewer risks.
OCS health risks
Even just 1-2.5 grams of OCS over a lifetime can increase your patient’s risk for serious side effects. Even short-term low-dose use of OCS (under 30 days) can result in serious health problems, such as:
- Blood clots
- Sepsis risk
- High blood sugar (can trigger or worsen diabetes)
- Infections
- Osteoporosis and thin skin
- Bruising
- Slower wound healing
It’s important that OCS is monitored by a qualified asthma specialist, or a primary care provider with asthma expertise.
Alternative options
OCS use is a signal that a patient may need an updated treatment plan, or support with adherence concerns. Conventional medications often include inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), which can result in much lower overall steroid exposure than even 1 course of OCS.
How you can help
You can help educate your patients on the following treatment topics:
- The risks associated with OCS: A brief discussion about these risks will help inform them about the possible dangers from short- and long-term use
- The importance of adherence to other asthma medicines: Emphasizing that patients take their ICS daily, even when they aren’t having symptoms, to help prevent severe flare-ups that require OCS. Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (SMART) use a single inhaler that contains both an ICS and a quick-relief medication (formoterol) for both daily maintenance and quick-relief. This can help patients who struggle to understand when to use their different asthma medications.
- Advanced treatment options: Biologic medications for asthma are precision add-on therapies used for moderate-to-severe asthma not well-controlled with standard inhalers. They can reduce asthma symptoms, hospital visits and the need for oral steroids.
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