Asthma

Tweet

Thomas Stibolt, MD

Winter 2007 - Volume 11 Number 1

https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/06-127

Introduction

More than 20 million Americans--young and old alike--have asthma,1 a condition that is both common and expensive: Direct medical costs for asthma treatment exceed $9.4 billion.1 Despite availability of effective therapy for controlling asthma, its incidence is increasing;1 nonetheless, asthma continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Appropriate management of asthma requires:

• correct diagnosis;
• assessment of severity and control
• proper management, including appropriate medication, patient education, and a written action plan
• ongoing monitoring by the patient
• appropriate follow-up; and
• specialty referral where appropriate.2-4

This article is an overview of the recently revised physician guidelines for asthma care.