British Thoracic Society Guideline on the management of Asthma

In Step Three of asthma treatment, the current British Thoracic Society guideline advises first adding inhaled long-acting beta 2 agonist (LABA) and then assessing the situation.
If there is a good response to LABA, this medication should be continued. If there is benefit from LABA but control is still inadequate, LABA should be continued, and the inhaled corticosteroids should be increased to a high dose. If there is no response to LABA, then that treatment should be stopped and inhaled corticosteroids should be increased to a high dose. Anticholinergics have very little role in the management of stable asthma.

Reference

• See British Thoracic Society, Guideline on the management of Asthma. Thorax, 2003: 58, Supplement I: 1-9.