The Hindu : Asthma remains underdiagnosed, say specialists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 04, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Asthma remains underdiagnosed, say specialists

By Our Staff Reporter

Chennai May 3 . With World Asthma Day round the corner, specialists have called attention to the fact that asthma remains one of the most under-recognised, underdiagnosed and undertreated chronic diseases among adults and children.

A meeting convened by the Asthma and Allergy Resource Centre in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan tomorrow will focus discussions on this aspect, according to the organisers.

"We still have not come to terms with accepting asthma as an appropriate diagnostic label," said R. Sridharan, consultant allergist and asthma specialist.

"Doctors seem to sense the distress parents experience when they are told their children have asthma. This psychological barrier leads to wrong diagnostic labels, inappropriate treatment, sub-optimal medication and poor follow-up protocol."

In a number of cases, children with asthma were being wrongly diagnosed as suffering from primary complex and were given courses of anti-tuberculosis drugs over extended periods. Instead of following long-term preventive treatment, a number of asthmatics were led to believe that relief was only with brochodilators during the attacks.

In this context, the need of the hour was to increase awareness of the disease among public and primary care physicians, said Dr. Sridharan.

Better information among this section will ensure that primary diagnosis was accurate. The vast majority of asthmatics in India do not have access to a specialist's care and receive only acute care during a flare-up.

The meeting will dispel general illusions about the disease and provide relevant information to the public.

The centre, attached to the Chennai Kaliappa Hospital, intended conducting Continuing Medical Education programmes for medical practitioners, said Dr. Sridharan.

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