Speaking at Hospital Healthcare Europe’s Spring 2025 Clinical Excellence in Respiratory Care event, Dr Ernie Wong provided an in-depth overview of biological infections in asthma. Here, you have exclusive access to the session recording.
According to Dr Ernie Wong, consultant respiratory physician and clinical lead for asthma at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, when people refer to pathogens in asthma, they often mean bacteria. ‘But actually,’ he says, ‘we need to think about all sorts of potential pathogens: viruses, bacteria and fungi.’
In this Clinical Excellence session, Dr Wong, who is also an honorary clinical senior lecturer at Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute, provides an overview of the common and varied biological infections and hypersensitivities seen in asthma patients.
Kicking off with an in-depth look at the well-documented ‘September epidemic’ in secondary care and the impact of viruses on asthma exacerbations and T2 airway inflammation, Dr Wong also covers the need to improve patient adherence to inhaled corticosteroids and the use of antiviral treatment.
He then turns his attention to the role of bacteria in asthma, including insights into the airway microbiome, the concept of dysbiosis and the best-practice use of antibiotics for both chronic and acute disease to support antimicrobial stewardship and optimal patient care.
The discussion concludes with a look into the role of fungi in asthma – specifically allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis – the hypersensitivities fungi cause, and the antifungal management required.
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Watch more Clinical Excellence event sessions via our Clinical Excellence Catch-up zone and watch this space as the autumn schedule for Clinical Excellence will be announced soon.
You can find brand new interviews and case studies on respiratory care – plus round ups of previous Clinical Excellence event sessions by looking out for the orange Clinical Excellence tag – and much more content that can help to inspire your practice in our Respiratory zone.
This article is part of our Clinical Excellence series, which offers valuable first-hand insights into how experts from renowned Centres of Excellence are pursuing innovative approaches to optimise patient care across the UK and Europe.
