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Vol. 44. Issue 6.
Pages 324-327 (January 2008)
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Vol. 44. Issue 6.
Pages 324-327 (January 2008)
Review Articles
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Triamcinolone Acetonide in the Treatment of Corticosteroid-Resistant Asthma: Risks and Benefits
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César Picado
Corresponding author
cpicado@ub.edu

Correspondence: Dr C. Picado Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital Clínic Villarroel, 17008036 Barcelona, Spain
, María del Carmen Vennera
Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Few therapeutic alternatives to prednisone are available forsevere, corticosteroid-resistant asthma. Injectable triamcinoloneacetonide (TA) has been used in this type of asthma, althoughits use is controversial. TA shows considerable efficacy whencompared with prednisone according to nearly all studies, although the majority do not provide a high level of evidence. The use of TA has been questioned, with claims put forwardthat it is equivalent to increasing the corticosteroid dose, thusleading to a higher risk of adverse effects. This would meanthat TA would not represent an improvement over prednisonebecause of the trade-offs between risks and benefits. Thisinterpretation is questionable, however, because the data showthat TA causes fewer adverse effects than prednisone, meaningthat the balance of risks and benefits does favor TA. Therefore, TA can be considered a useful option for the treatment ofpatients with severe prednisone-resistant asthma.

Key words:
Severe asthma
Corticosteroid-resistant asthma
Prednisone
Triamcinolone acetonide

Las alternativas terapéuticas a la prednisona en el asmagrave que no responde a los corticoides son escasas. Elacetónido de triamcinolona (AT) de administracióninyectada se ha utilizado en esta asma, aunque su empleo esmotivo de controversia. Casi todos los estudios realizados, aunque en su mayoría son de escasa calidad, muestran unaeficacia sustancial del AT comparado con la prednisona. Seha cuestionado el uso del AT aduciéndose que equivale aaumentar la dosis del glucocorticoide, lo que comportará unmayor riesgo de efectos secundarios, de modo que el balancefinal de riesgos y beneficios del AT no mejoraría el de laprednisona. Los datos publicados permiten dudar de esainterpretación, ya que muestran que el AT ocasiona menosefectos secundarios que la prednisona, por lo que el balancede riesgos y beneficios es superior al de esta última. Por ellopuede considerarse el AT una opción válida para tratar alos pacientes con asma grave que no responde a laprednisona.

Palabras clave:
Asma grave
Asma corticorresistente
Prednisona
Acetónido de triamcinolona
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Copyright © 2008. Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR)
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