title: Primary Care of the Patient with Asthma.
abstract: Obstructive lung disease includes asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Because a previous issue of Medical Clinics of North America (2012;96[4]) was devoted to COPD, this article focuses on asthma in adults, and addresses some topics about COPD not addressed previously. Asthma is a heterogeneous disease marked by variable airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperreactivity. Onset is most common in early childhood, although many people develop asthma later in life. Adult-onset asthma presents a particular challenge in the primary care clinic because of incomplete understanding of the disorder, underreporting of symptoms, underdiagnosis, inadequate treatment, and high rate of comorbidity.
authors: Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 Northeast Pacific Street, Box 356429, Seattle, WA 98195-6429, USA. Electronic address: mlenaeus@uw.edu.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Lenaeus
authors: Department of General Internal Medicine, Puget Sound VA Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Hirschmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
keywords: Adult-onset asthma; Asthma; Asthma exacerbation; COPD