Introduction

The Expert Panel Reports presenting clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma have organized recommendations for asthma care around four components considered essential to effective asthma management:

• ▪ Measures of assessment and monitoring, obtained by objective tests, physical examination, patient history and patient report, to diagnose and assess the characteristics and severity of asthma and to monitor whether asthma control is achieved and maintained
• ▪ Education for a partnership in asthma care
• ▪ Control of environmental factors and comorbid conditions that affect asthma
• ▪ Pharmacologic therapy

This section updates information on each of these four components, based on the Expert Panel's review of the scientific literature. The sections that follow present specific clinical recommendations for managing asthma long term and for managing exacerbations that incorporate the four components