Understanding and Implementing the New NHLBI Asthma Guidelines

More than 22 million Americans have asthma. It is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, affecting about 6 million children. With these statistics in mind, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health recently released the 2007 asthma guidelines, “Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.” Because of the continued burden and impact asthma has on our patients, a broad and marked change is needed in our treatment approach. Nurse practitioners can lead that change with the implementation of the new asthma guidelines.