BACKGROUND Adherence to medication is one of the critical determinants of successful management of chronic diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Given that poor adherence with self-management medication is very common among asthma and COPD patients, interventions that improve the use of chronic disease management medications for this patient group have pote...

During pregnancy, patients with asthma are at risk of poor outcomes, particularly when asthma is poorly controlled. The aim of this study was to determine the level of asthma self-management skills and knowledge among pregnant subjects and describe the implementation of an asthma education programme delivered in an antenatal clinic setting. Pregnant subjects with asthma were assessed by an asth...

BACKGROUND In 1989, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) convened an expert panel to develop a report that would provide a general approach to the treatment of asthma. Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, or EPR-1, was published in 1991 and was subsequently updated with 2 other reports, EPR-2 in 1997 and the EPR update in 2002. Adva...

Asthma is a prevalent chronic disease of the respiratory system and acute asthma exacerbations are among the most common causes of presentation to the emergency department (ED) and admission to hospital particularly in children. Bronchial airways inflammation is the most prominent pathological feature of asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), through their anti-inflammatory effects have been th...

OBJECTIVE To examine the concept of treatment alliance in the care of adolescents with asthma. METHODS Measures of treatment alliance were obtained from 60 adolescents with severe, chronic asthma admitted to a tertiary care facility, their parents, and their asthma specialists at the referral center. Associations were examined between the alliance measures and multimeasure, multiagent data co...

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, with a high proportion of patients demonstrating poor control despite the availability of disease management guidelines. Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines include tiotropium as an add-on therapy option at Steps 4 and 5 in patients aged ≥ 12 years with a history of exacerbations, and tiotropium delivered via the Respimat® Soft ...

OBJECTIVE Asthma self-management programs are effective but often time-consuming.We evaluated the effects of a shortened asthma self-management program on asthma knowledge, morbidity and asthma-related behaviour in a group of moderate to severe adult asthmatics. METHODS The effects of the program were evaluated with a one year prospective trial in a group of 55 asthmatics (mean age 45 yrs, 42...

Despite remarkable advances in diagnosis and long-term management, asthma remains a serious public health concern. Newly updated expert guidelines emphasize the intra- and inter-individual variability of asthma and highlight the importance of periodic assessment of asthma control. These guidelines update recommendations for step-wise asthma treatment, address the burgeoning field of asthma diag...

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW: Are there differences in symptom interpretation in older people with asthma? What are effective drug delivery strategies in older people to maximise adherence and minimise side effects? How do older people with asthma manage their asthma? Are self-management strategies as appropriate as they are in younger age groups? Do older people with asthma take appropriate steps in a...

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program is housed in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. To help health professionals care for people with asthma, the NHLBI convened panels of experts twice to prepare guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. The first Expert Panel Report was released in 1991. The new 1997 guidelin...