Exacerbations | Acute asthma | |||
| Mild: Worsening of asthma control that is only just outside the normal range of variation for the individual (documented when patient is well) | ||||
| Moderate: Worsening asthma that is troublesome or distressing to the patient and requires a change in treatment, but is not life-threatening and does not require hospitalisation |
| Mild–moderate: (all of these features): Can walk, speak whole sentences in one breath Oxygen saturation >94% | Severe (any of these features): Unable to complete sentences in one breath due to breathlessness Use of accessory muscles of neck or intercostal muscles/tracheal tug/subcostal recession during inspiration Obvious respiratory distress Oxygen saturation ≤94% | Life-threatening (any of these features): Reduced consciousness/collapse, exhaustion Cyanosis Poor respiratory effort Oxygen saturation <90% Poor respiratory effort, soft/absent breath sounds
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| Severe: Event that requires urgent action by the patient (or carers) and health professionals to prevent a serious outcome such as hospitalisation or death from asthma | ||||
