Reducing Risks in Asthma: Mucus Plugs and Airway Obstruction

Target Audience
The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of pulmonology and clinical immunology clinicians who manage patients with severe asthma who are at risk for mucus plugs.

Program Overview
This Point-of-Care 201 program has been designed to educate and promote critical thinking through a discussion-based format that is accompanied by 3-dimensional animation. Expert faculty examine various sides of key clinical issues in asthma"including exploration of the pathogenic processes that lead to mucus plugging, the potential role of mucus plugs as a biomarker, assessment of patients at risk for mucus plugging, and evidence for the use of targeted biologic therapies in this patient population. This engaging educational program incorporates the clinical experiences of our expert faculty along with the latest published clinical evidence to provide practical recommendations for strategies to optimize diagnosis and management of severe asthma with accompanying mucus plugs in clinical practice.

Educational Objectives

Discuss asthma pathophysiology, focusing on processes that cause mucus plugging, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway obstruction

Describe recent evidence examining mucus plugs in patients with asthma, including potential consequences, evaluation strategies, and roles as a biomarker

Tailor severe asthma treatment regimens to address risks of mucus plugs, lung function testing, symptom severity, and evidence for therapeutic efficacy