Professorial lecture UiTM : assessment and management of severe asthma / Mohamed Fauzi Abdul Rani

This book presents a brief description of asthma in general and its variant of severe asthma, which many believe could be a distinct phenotype. It begins by elucidating the basic concepts that underpin the understanding of asthma over the years and how our cumulative understanding of the science of pathogenesis, pathophysiology and pathobiology have led to greater understanding of the disease at all levels in particular the subject of interest that is severe asthma. Although only a small percentage of total asthmatics, severe asthma takes up a significant morbidity and mortality of asthma in any given population and presents the most challenging asthma subgroup to accurately isolate in terms of diagnosis confirmation and manage. On severe asthma, the book delves on the definition, symptoms and signs, and pathway to proper diagnosis of the condition. Once that is firmly established, the assessment of patient suspected of severe asthma is explored. Assessment, best done systematically, to exclude other diagnoses and presence of comorbidities are essential to its effective management. The presence and effect of comorbidities are done at multiple dimensions and involve other disciplines, chaired by the lead consultant.