Asthma

doi:10.1136/bmj.39140.634896.BE

BMJ 2007;334:847-850 (21 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39140.634896.BE

Practice

BMJ Masterclass for GPs

Asthma

Hilary Pinnock, clinical research fellow¹, Rupal Shah, GP principal²

¹ Division of Community Health Sciences, GP Section, University of Edinburgh, ² Battersea, London

Correspondence to: H Pinnock Hilary.Pinnock@ed.ac.uk.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Practical tips

Ask specific questions about asthma control, such as the RoyalCollege of Physicians' three questions: people who are usedto living with asthma tend not to volunteer their symptoms unlessasked specifically
Step up treatment if symptoms are not controlled:step down if your patient's asthma is stable
People who learnhow to control their asthma are less likely to have exacerbations.Every encounter with medical services is an opportunity to review,reinforce, and extend patients' knowledge and skills
Patients'action plans should include details of their asthma drugs, adviceabout when to take further action, what to do if symptoms getworse, when to return to usual doses, and when to seek urgentmedical help
Rhinitis is a very common comorbidity. Ask patientswith asthma about nasal symptoms, and ask patients with rhinitisabout wheeze

The prevalence of active asthma in the United Kingdom is 5.8%according to data . . . [Full text of this article]

What should I already know about this condition?

What new evidence do I need to know about?

What new guidelines have been produced over the past two years?

Step 1—Mild intermittent asthma
Step 2—Regular prophylactictherapy
Step3—Additional therapy
Step 4—Persistent poor control
Step5—Continuous or frequent use of oral corticosteroids

Practical management tips

When should I refer my patient?

Common pitfalls

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