The Lancet wants to scrap "asthma" as a term

The reasoning is as follows:

Asthma is not a single disease, but a group of syndromes with different origins and characteristics and so it is best to scrap the name, it says.

Comments

Gasman
the term asthma still has reasonable value in its ability to communicate information between physicians, and between physician and patient. Those who do not understand it is a heterogeneous condition will not understand any better when myriad new terminology is introduced.
If medical societies wish to clarify ambiguous terminology they can begin with CP and conceptual age/gestational age.
CP (cerebral palsey) as described by Little originally was an idiopathic, nonprogressive, neurologic condition characterized by normal mental capacity but spasticity, especially of the lower extremities. Now it is a wastebasket term for anything spastic, whether progressive, normal brain or any other consideration. Many of these conditions can be better described using more precise terminology but so far anything spastic is called CP.
Gestational age is based on the use of menstrual dates, with the first day of gestation coinciding with the first day of the last menstrual period. We of course know that conception does occur about day 14 of the menstual cycle, yet obstetricians contintue to use this outmoded system of dates.
Anonymous
Astha is a very useful term…even if someone has rad, bronchitis…I usually just tell them it’s asthma…then I prescribe albuterol, advair, xopenex, flovent, whatever pops into my head at the time…and then they are stuck with the diagnosis the rest of their lives and I have a reason to bill the insurance company…suckas!

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