Learning Objectives

• Describe the control of airway smooth muscle
• Define asthma and discuss its underlying pathophysiology and resulting functional alterations
• Compare and contrast asthma phenotypes, including type of airway inflammation and asthma triggers
• Describe atopic asthma including the major events in the pre-sensitization, early and late phases of the type 1 hypersensitivity response
• Discuss recent changes asthma treatment approach including SABA-ICS use, terminology (controller vs preventor), personalised treatment approaches and ongoing review
• Resources

Airway Smooth Muscle Control

• how does ASM contraction affect airway resistance?
• how does ASM relaxation affect airway resistance?
• how does the PNS control ASM?
• therefore, how can you interfere with this to relax ASM?
• how does the SNS control ASM?
• what is the NANC system?
• how does the NANC system work? what effect does it have?

Asthma

• what is asthma?
• what are the 4 key pathophysiological features of asthma?
• what are the clinical features of asthma?