Real-World Prescribing Pattern of Asthma Management in China: A Retrospective, Descriptive Analysis

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway that requires long-term medication management. Objective: To describe the real-world prescribing patterns for asthma management in the Chinese population. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 8,732 patients from January 2011 to September 2019 in 10 hospitals was conducted. Prescribing patterns of short-acting beta-agonists (SABA), long-acting beta-agonists (LABA), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), intravenous corticosteroids, antihistamines, leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), theophylline, antibiotics, and Chinese patent medicines were included in the analysis. Chi-square and logistic regression were calculated. A P value of <0.05 was considered as statistical significance.Results: ICS/LABA were prescribed for 2,940 (33.67%) patients with stable asthma and 141 (31.4%) patients with asthma exacerbations. LTRA was prescribed in 2,006 (22.97%) patients with stable asthma, and 86 (19.15%) patients with asthma exacerbations. Systemic antibiotics (46.1Z%), systemic corticosteroids (57.91%), and theophylline (51.45%) were frequently prescribed during exacerbations. A total of 5,766 patients (64.95%) were managed with traditional Chinese medication (TCM); 3237 patients (36.47%) received western medicine. Patients using ICS/LABA (P=0.019) and SABA (P=0.008) had a significantly lower rate of asthma exacerbations.Conclusions: This study provides valuable insight into clinical practices of asthma management in China. Poor adherence to clinical reports was identified. Efforts are required to improve the quality of asthma care.