{"id":10558,"date":"2025-11-13T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bedfont.com\/?p=10558"},"modified":"2025-12-22T15:39:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T15:39:38","slug":"practical-insights-for-asthma-care-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bedfont.com\/es\/practical-insights-for-asthma-care-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Practical insights for asthma care: The new NICE\/BTS\/SIGN guidelines. Why FeNO first?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Part 1: Understanding the changes \u2013 Asthma diagnosis & first steps in the new guidelines<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of the recent update to the National Institute of Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for asthma care and management, Bedfont\u00ae Scientific Limited sponsored an informative webinar by Intermedical (UK) Limited. Seasoned respiratory nurse Carol Stonham MBE led the session, where she discussed the changes to the guidelines in detail and why Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) testing is vital to the asthma pathway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this first part of our three-part series covering this insightful webinar, we focus on the foundations: patient-centred care, changes in diagnostic criteria, and the importance of the structured clinical assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carol Stonham MBE, has been a registered nurse since 1986, transitioning from acute hospital settings to primary care by 1990. She serves at the Gloucestershire ICB and leads the Respiratory Clinical Programme Group, as well as co-leading the NHSE South West Respiratory Network. Carol is also a member of the Bedfont\u00ae Medical Advisory Board.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Intermedical (UK) Limited are a leading specialist provider of medical diagnostic and therapy equipment in the UK’s cardio-respiratory healthcare sector. Trusted in respiratory health since 1997, they are the exclusive distributor of the Bedfont\u00ae NObreath\u00ae FeNO device in the UK.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Usually, guideline updates involve adjustments to recommendations here and there, but this update represents a seismic shift in how asthma is diagnosed and managed. This blog will examine what the guidelines tell us and where FeNO fits in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first recommendation, which healthcare professionals (HCPs) must be aware of and follow, is that healthcare should be patient-centred. Patients should be given enough time and information to make informed decisions about their care. Unfortunately, this can be tricky if the areas in which the HCPs work have a restrictive formulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is asthma diagnosed?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, as a HCP, you should take a good and clear history to ensure asthma is suspected before you test for it. It is easy to see a cough or a wheeze, but this is not how a diagnosis should be made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recommendation has gone from HCP-reported wheeze to just \u201creported wheeze\u201d. This is something to be cautious about, as the patient’s interpretation of a wheeze could be very different from what a HCP interprets as a wheeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n