Chapter 10 – Environmental Assessment and Control

Environmental indoor allergens and air pollutants play a major role in the pathogenesis of asthma and its morbidity. Inner-city children with asthma are disproportionately affected by these exposures with increased asthma morbidity. Although assessment of the home environment is important, evaluation of the school, day care, and workplace environments of patients with asthma is also essential. Environmental control measures can and should supplement good medical care. These measures are reinforced by the most current, nationally recognized guidelines developed by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program of the National Institutes of Health.