TABLE 4

Treatment undertaken for current wheeze and severe asthma in children and adults

Medications used	Current wheeze						Severe asthma^#
Medications used	6–7-year age group (n=634)		13–14-year age group (n=940)		Adults (n=2680)		6–7-year age group (n=320)		13–14-year age group (n=562)		Adults (n=1499)
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Inhaler medicines	97	15.30	270	28.72	487	18.17	72	22.50	208	37.01	389	25.95
Nebuliser	115	18.14	115	12.23	309	11.53	85	26.56	89	15.84	231	15.41
Oral medications	76	11.99	238	25.32	392	14.63	61	19.06	183	32.56	324	21.61
Inhaled β-agonists
Only when needed	51	8.04	140	14.89	239	8.92	36	11.25	120	21.35	188	12.54
In short courses	23	3.63	27	2.87	37	1.38	16	5.00	26	4.63	34	2.27
Every day	5	0.79	9	0.96	33	1.23	3	0.94	9	1.60	29	1.93
ICS
Only when needed	24	3.79	43	4.57	67	2.50	14	4.38	34	6.05	56	3.74
In short courses	13	2.05	52	5.53	24	0.90	11	3.44	47	8.36	22	1.47
Every day	5	0.79	8	0.85	13	0.49	3	0.94	5	0.89	11	0.73
Combined (ICS+LABA)
Only when needed	18	2.84	81	8.62	112	4.18	10	3.13	71	12.63	81	5.40
In short courses	9	1.42	10	1.06	22	0.82	4	1.25	8	1.42	18	1.20
Every day	10	1.58	7	0.74	37	1.38	8	2.50	7	1.25	32	2.13

ICS: inhaled corticosteroid; LABA: long-acting β-agonist. ^#: severe asthma is defined as current wheeze with more than four attacks per year or wheeze affecting speech or activity.