Guidelines for Diagnosis

• The NAEPP guidelines state three guidelines for determining a diagnosis of asthma. First, the medical professional administering treatment should ensure that episodes have occurred more than once in which airflow was obstructed or there was airway hyperresponsiveness. Second, the treating physician should ensure that, with correct treatment, the patient's condition and symptoms are reversible to a degree. Last, the doctor should make sure to rule out all other possible conditions before determining that a patient has asthma.
  
  

Guidelines for Long-Term Managemenet

• There are four components to managing the long-term care of asthma.
  
  Te first component is assessing and monitoring asthma severity and determining the level of asthma control needed.
  
  The second is patient education. This component means that there should be open communication between a patient and her doctor to ensure that the right treatment is given to control asthma symptoms.
  
  Component three is to control all environmental factors that could make the condition worse or cause an attack. These include allergen elements in the environment such as dust mites, cockroaches, pet dander, and pollen.
  
  Component four of long-term asthma care is administering the correct medication in the correct dosage. Most often, this pertains to inhalers that administer corticosteroids. Small children must be monitored in a step-by-step process to ensure changes in dosage are made when necessary as they grow and as the condition subsides or worsens. Special considerations must be taken as well in other special circumstances such as pregnant women with asthma, who may require special treatment for the duration of their pregnancy.
  
  

Guidelines for Managing Attacks

• Asthma exacberations, or asthma attacks, can be triggered by allergens and other elements in the environment. The first step to managing an asthma attack is to determine the severity of the attack. The patient should use a written asthma action plan, administer any treatment that can be done by a non-medical professional, remove themselves from the environment if there are possible allergens present, and then call the doctor if no home treatment is working. The patient should then be transported as quickly as possible to the nearest hospital emergency room or urgent care treatment center. Here medical staff should administer supplemental oxygen, administer fast-acting medications to help with breathing, administer oral systemic corticosteroids, and monitor the response to these actions with periodic patient assessments.