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Diagnosis: How frequently does severity change and how should this influence timing of asthma reviews?
Conventional assessments of asthma have combined assessments of symptoms, amount of B2-agonist used to treat symptoms, and lung function. Guidelines suggest considering severity of airflow limitation, asthma symptoms, exacerbations, medication requirements and lifestyle impact along with the frequency of asthma impact to classify asthma as: Intermittent, Mild Persistent, Moderate Persistent, and Severe Persistent.2 This classification is suggested as important in making decisions about management during initial assessment of a patient.
However, little is known about how asthma severity changes over time and thus how frequently asthma therapy should be reviewed. Control and severity are different but often mixed together by primary care physicians. Is this distinction important and does differentiating between the two help the treating physician?
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