Excerpt

This report presents basic recommendations for the diagnosis and management of asthma that will help clinicians and patients make appropriate decisions about asthma care. Of course, the clinician and patient need to develop individual treatment plans that are tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of the patient. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), and all who participated in the development of this latest report, hope that the patient with asthma will be the beneficiary of the recommendations in this document. This report is not an official regulatory document of any Government agency.

Contents

• Second Expert Panel on the Management of Asthma
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Overview
  • Introduction
    • Methods Used to Develop This Report
    • Overview of the Report
    • References
  • Pathogenesis and Definition
    • Airway Pathology and Asthma
    • Relationship of Airway Inflammation and Lung Function
    • Relevance of Chronic Airway Inflammation to Asthma Therapy
    • References
• Component 1: Measures of Assessment and Monitoring
  • Initial Assessment and Diagnosis of Asthma
    • Medical History
    • Physical Examination
    • Pulmonary Function Testing (Spirometry)
    • Additional Studies
    • Differential Diagnosis of Asthma
    • General Guidelines for Referral to an Asthma Specialist
    • References
  • Periodic Assessment and Monitoring: Essential for Asthma Management
    • Goals of Therapy
    • Assessment Measures
    • Assessment Methods
    • References
• Component 2: Control of Factors Contributing to Asthma Severity
  • Control of Factors Contributing to Asthma Severity
    • Inhalant Allergens
    • Occupational Exposures
    • Irritants
    • Other Factors That Can Influence Asthma Severity
    • Preventing the Onset of Asthma
    • References
• Component 3: Pharmacologic Therapy
  • Pharmacologic Therapy: The Medications
    • Key Points: the Medications
    • Overview of the Medications
    • Route of Administration
    • Special Issues Regarding Safety
    • References
  • Pharmacologic Therapy: Managing Asthma Long Term
    • Stepwise Approach for Managing Asthma in Adults and Children Older Than 5 Years of Age
    • Special Considerations for Managing Asthma in Different Age Groups
    • Managing Special Situations in Asthma
    • References
  • Pharmacologic Therapy: Managing Exacerbations of Asthma
    • General Considerations
    • Treatment Goals
    • Home Management of Asthma Exacerbations
    • Prehospital Emergency Medicine/Ambulance Management of Asthma Exacerbations
    • Emergency Department and Hospital Management of Asthma Exacerbations
    • References
• Component 4: Education for a Partnership in Asthma Care
  • Education for a Partnership in Asthma Care
    • Establish a Partnership
    • Maintain the Partnership
    • Supplement Patient Education Delivered by Clinicians
    • Provide Patient Education in Other Clinical Settings
    • References