National and international guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.

Excellent guidelines on the management of asthma are now available. The most comprehensive guidelines developed recently are the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, the NHLBI/World Health Organization Global Initiative for Asthma, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Practice Parameters for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma. The main purpose of such guidelines is to improve the quality of care for patients with asthma. This can only be accomplished, however, if these documents are used effectively.