Rethinking asthma management: the overuse of SABAs and updated adult treatment guidelines
Keywords:
asthma management, overuse of SABAs, adult treatment guidelinesAbstract
The global overuse of short-acting β2-agonists (SABAs), like salbutamol, has prompted a need to update asthma management protocols. Excessive reliance on SABAs—defined as using more than three canisters per year (or more than twice weekly)—is now recognised as a marker of poor asthma control and is associated with significant patient risk.
In South Africa, SABA overuse is alarmingly high. The Short-Acting Beta-Agonist Use IN Asthma (SABINA) III trial found that 75% of asthma patients in South Africa are overusing SABAs, compared to the global average of 38%. Furthermore, 51% of patients have uncontrolled asthma, with only 28% achieving adequate control and 21% achieving partial control, underscoring the need for a paradigm shift in asthma care.1