Difficult-to-manage asthma

PREVIEW

Asthma can be difficult to manage in some patients, and the reason may not be readily apparent to either physician or patient. When even aggressive treatment fails to control asthma symptoms, where do you begin to look for the possible cause or causes? This article provides a brief overview of the pathogenesis of asthma and a discussion of exacerbating factors to consider in evaluation of difficult-to-manage cases. A handy algorithm showing a stepwise approach to evaluation is included.