Review article

Mistakes in Asthma Diagnosis – A Differential Diagnostic Trap or an Inadequate Diagnostic Procedure?

Nevenka Piskač-Živković ; KB Dubrava
Neven Tudorić ; KB Dubrava

Abstract

Asthma diagnosis is based on a detailed medical history, physical examination of the chest, lung function tests and allergic status assessment. The diseases with similar clinical features, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, upper airways diseases, gastroesophageal reflux disease, vocal cord dysfunction, localized obstruction of airways and other numerous rare disorders are the most common differential diagnostic traps. One should note that these ambiguities may be solved in the majority of cases by complying with diagnostic standards given in asthma management guidelines. The noncompliance with these guidelines, i.e. asthma diagnosis made exclusively on the basis of a clinical impression, may lead to a wrong diagnosis and unnecessarily long administration of a differential therapy.

Keywords

asthma; differential diagnosis; pulmonary function tests

Hrčak ID:

81079

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/81079

Publication date:

19.12.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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