Efficacy of Short - and Long - Term Oral Steroid Therapy in patients with Asthma Exacerbations

Abstract

Background:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway condition with acute exacerbations frequently necessitating systemic corticosteroids (OCS). Although effective, long-term OCS use poses important risks. Objective:To compare the effectiveness of short-term and long-term oral corticosteroid therapy in improving asthma control, lung function, and symptom relief in mild asthma exacerbations. Methodology:A Retrospective analysis was performed at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, from January 2022 to January 2023 on 76 adult patients with mild asthma exacerbation. Patients were divided into short-term (<10 days) and long-term (≥10 days) OCS therapy groups. Asthma Control Test (ACT), FEV1, and severity of symptoms through Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were measured pre- and post-treatment. Side effects were also noted. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 26, with a p-value of <0.05 being taken as significant. Results:Both groups demonstrated significant change in ACT scores (to 20.4 from 10.7) and FEV1 (to 92.0% from 86.7%) post-treatment. VAS measures of dyspnea, cough, sputum production, wheezing, and night awakening all declined significantly in both groups. There were no significant differences in post-treatment status between short- and long-term groups. The long-term group did experience a greater, though not statistically significant, incidence of side effects such as gastrointestinal upset and weight gain. Conclusion:This study concluded that short-term OCS treatment is as efficient as long-term treatment in managing mild asthma exacerbations with less side effects. These results favor short-term OCS as the treatment of choice in this setting.