Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma

More than 22 million Americans have asthma, and it is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, affecting an estimated 6 million children. The burden of asthma affects the patients, their families, and society in terms of lost work and school, lessened quality of life, and avoidable emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Improved scientific understanding of asthma has led to significant improvements in asthma care, and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) has been dedicated to translating these research findings into clinical practice through publication and dissemination of clinical practice guidelines. The first NAEPP guidelines were published in 1991, and updates were made in 1997, 2002, and now with the current report. Important gains have been made in reducing morbidity and mortality rates due to asthma; however, challenges remain.