Guidelines on the management of asthma. Statement by the British Thoracic Society, the Brit. Paediatric Association, the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the King's Fund Centre, the National Asthma Campaign, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the General Practitioners in Asthma Group, the Brit. Assoc. of Accident and Emergency Medicine, and the Brit. Paediatric Respiratory Group.

Abstract

Si BackgroundIn 1990, as a result of an initiative by the British Thoracic Society, the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the King's Fund Centre, and the National Asthma Campaign, guidelines for the management of asthma in adults were published.These were produced by a group of respiratory and general physicians and general practitioners and modified after wide circulation and discussion within the British Thoracic Society.The guidelines were intended to be reviewed and revised after two years.Such revision has now taken place and the opportunity has been taken to invite the British Paediatric Association and the British Paediatric Respiratory Group to include guidance on the management of asthma in children.The guidelines have also benefited from input from the British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the General Practitioners in Asthma Group.To ensure a spread of opinions half of the previous working party was randomly retired and replaced by new members representing a similar geographic and academic or clinical background.