How to approach patients who still have asthma symptoms despite treatment. It is not an uncommon scenario. The asthma patient presents, still complaining of shortness of breath, wheeze or cough despite having been prescribed the textbook asthma treatments.

In his talk, respiratory physician A/Prof Worsnop outlines a very practical approach for doctors faced with this challenge, which includes checking for real-world causes for treatment failure such as poor inhaler technique and incorrect diagnosis as well as the best evidence-based options for intensifying treatment.