| Abstract |
A 41-year-old woman with a 35-year history of asthma, allergic rhinitis, recurrent sinusitis, and bronchitis visits her new primary care physician for the first time. See how this challenging case unfolds from the initial presentation through key decision points during testing, imaging, lab work, diagnosis, treatment and environmental control. In an unusual twist, our patient visits a pulmonologist 16 years later with related complaints marked by several significant differentiating factors. How has her living circumstances changed? What is her new environment like? How are the presenting signs and symptoms different than those from her primary care visit 16 years earlier? Using illustrative patient video vignettes, two experts in pulmonology and immunology explore the diagnosis and management of asthma and COPD. Practice guidelines and study results are presented to support the evidence-based management recommendations. |
