DefinePK

Abstract

Introduction


Asthma is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality throughout the world.1 It is a common, costly and chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that affect two million people in Pakistan having a significant impact on children, adults, their families and health care system.2 To improve asthma management, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), Expert Panel sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) developed the guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in 1991.2 In 1997, the NHLBI updated their recommendations in the Expert Panel Report 2: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma.3,4 This report reinforced the previous recommendations and further emphasized the role of airway inflammation in the pathogenesis of asthma. Despite the existence of guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma for more than a decade, there is a wide range of practice patterns in asthma management. Deviations from published guidelines of the care of asthmatics have been described in pediatrics5, inner city6 and private Health Management Organization (HMO).7,8 Similar studies have been done to evaluate knowledge regarding asthma in other countries.9,10 The first and essential step every physician needs to follow towards patient care of asthma is a clear understanding and application of the guidelines. The literature search and the observations in medical community led to the assumption that poor physician understanding of the guidelines may play an important role in compliance with the recommendations. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of bronchial asthma among internists, family physicians, pediatricians and residents of the above-mentioned faculty in a tertiary care teaching hospital; and to identify the gaps in approach and management.