NAC releases new First Aid for Asthma Chart

The National Asthma Council Australia (NAC) has released a significant new chart “First Aid for Asthma chart for combination inhalers with formoterol” that provides guidance for the use of preventer and reliever combinations in an emergency.

The new First Aid for Asthma (FAFA) chart is based on combination inhalers with formoterol (Symbicort, Fostair, DuoResp, BiResp) and outlines how to use one of these inhalers if this is the person’s usual reliever.

Respiratory physician and Chair of the FAFA Working Group Professor Peter Wark said that the new chart was for all health professionals who may assist people with acute asthma, including those who volunteer and provide first aid.

“An important advance in asthma care has been the development of combined preventer and reliever medication, which treats the underlying cause of asthma at the same time it treats the symptoms.

“This new chart is designed for patients using a combination preventer and reliever medication that uses formoterol as the reliever, which could help to prevent an asthma attack from becoming an asthma emergency.

“The FAFA charts are the backbone for the management of acute asthma by GPs and other health professionals and the steps followed in the chart are as relevant on the sidelines of the sporting field as they are in a doctor’s surgery,” he said.

Wark said it is a concern that many people with asthma are still unaware of the combination inhaler as an important treatment option, and patients need to be reminded that a blue reliever puffer just treats the symptoms and will not stop a serious asthma attack.

“Combination inhalers are now a viable alternative way of treating asthma, for those with mild and moderate disease who are aged 12 and above and there is very good evidence that it is more effective and safer than using a reliever alone. It is also an option for those with moderate asthma using a single preventer and fast-acting reliever combination.

“With the release of this new chart, the NAC is keen for all health professionals, as well as those who provide first aid for people with asthma, to reinforce with their patients that this form of acute asthma treatment is also very effective and safe,” he said.

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