What other concomitant illnesses of an asthma patient should be investigated?
The following problems, which may be present in association with asthma, should be investigated properly. • Atopic dermatitis (Eczema) • Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis • Chronic bronchitis or COPD • Cor-pulmonale • Diabetes mellitus • Hypertension • Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) Spirometry Spirometry is a method of assessing lung function by measuring the volume of air that the patient is able to expel from the lungs after a maximal inspiration. It is a reliable method of differentiating between obstructive airway disorders (e.g. COPD, Asthma) and restrictive diseases (e.g. ILD). Spirometry can also be used to determine the severity of COPD. This is important because the severity of COPD can not be predicted simply from the clinical signs and symptoms. Spirometry gives 3 important measures: FEV1: The volume of air that the patient is able to exhale in the first-second of forced expiration. FVC: The total volume of air that the patient can forcibly exhale in one breath. FEV1/FVC: The ratio
