Table 3 |
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|
Categories for classifying potential cases selected for chart review |
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| Classification of Asthma Severity |
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|
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| Symptoms |
Night time Symptoms |
Lung Function |
Chart Review |
|
|
|
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| Mild Intermittent |
• Symptoms ≤ 2 times/week |
≤ 2 times a month |
• FEV1 or PEF ≥ 80% predicted |
Asthma not mentioned in visits that are routine (i.e. physical exam) or for other
medical problems. Does not refill asthma medications regularly. |
| • Asymptomatic and normal PEF between exacerbations |
• PEF variability < 20% |
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| • Exacerbations brief (from a few hours to a few days); intensity may vary |
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| Mild Persistent |
• Symptoms > 2 times a week but < 1 time a day |
> 2 times a month |
• FEV1 or PEF ≥ 80% predicted |
Asthma mentioned in some of the "non-asthma" visits. Asthma meds refilled regularly.
Exacerbation may require systemic steroids. |
| • Exacerbations may affect activity |
• PEF variability 20–30% |
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| Moderate Persistent |
• Daily Symptoms |
> 1 time a week |
• FEV1 or PEF >60% -<80% predicted |
Asthma is a common reason for visits. Uses inhaled steroids regularly. Uses systemic
steroids intermittently, but more than once a year in most years. |
| • Daily use of inhaled short-acting beta2-agonist |
• PEF variability >30% |
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| • Exacerbations affect activity |
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| • Exacerbations ≥ 2 times a week; may last days |
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| Severe Persistent |
• Continual symptoms |
Frequent |
• FEV1 or PEF ≤ 60% predicted |
Asthma always a problem. Systemic steroids frequently or continuously. Hospitalizations. |
| • Limited physical activity |
• PEF variability >30% |
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| • Frequent exacerbations |
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|
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|
Adapted from NHLBI "Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma". NIH publication number 97-4051, July 1997. |
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|
Sama et al. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 2003 2:10 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-2-10 |
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