Asthma Resources

Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions in children, impacting one in 11 of our paediatric population (Asthma+Lung UK, 2025; NHS England, 2025). The multifactorial nature of asthma means that for some patients symptoms are perennial and for some it is very seasonal — it all depends on the trigger factors.

What we do know is a consistent peak for acute asthma in our children and young people — week 38.

Debridement is vital in wound bed preparation, creating a clean, moist environment that supports effective healing (Burnett et al, 2021). It facilitates the removal of devitalised tissue, bacteria, and debris, reducing infection risk and promoting healthy tissue growth (Mayer et al, 2024). Multiple debridement techniques exist such as sharp, larval, enzymatic, ultrasound, and surgical, however their use may be limited by required expertise or clinical setting. This article introduces an updated definition of debridement and traces its evolution from traditional methods to modern, patient-friendly technologies, exemplified by the innovative dual-sided monofilament pad, Debrisoft® Duo. It also includes some case series evaluating the effectiveness and practicality of Debrisoft Duo, particularly in managing wounds with persistent fibrous devitalised tissue where conventional sharp debridement is unsuitable.

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory condition with approximately 7.2 million cases diagnosed in the UK. This equates to about eight in every 100 people (Asthma+Lung UK, 2025a). Sadly, asthma deaths are at an all-time high and the UK has some of the worse asthma outcomes in Europe (eurostat, 2025). A recent survey suggests that many patients are not even receiving what is considered to be a ‘basic’ level of asthma care (Asthma+Lung UK, 2022). This article considers what really constitutes ‘good asthma care’ and how exactly this can be achieved in often short, primary care consultations. Patients with asthma can suffer from symptoms such as wheeze, cough, shortness of breath, tight chest, and many will have associated atopic conditions such as hay fever. It is a heterogenous disease, which means that patients experience it differently; no two asthmatic patients are the same and thus treatment and management for asthma should be tailored towards individuals and their needs.

Asthma is now considered a heterogeneous disease rather than a single airways condition, with distinct endotypes defined by the immunological and inflammatory pathways. These endotypes help to explain the underlying variable clinical presentations, which are defined as phenotypes (Kuruvilla et al, 2019; Holguin et al, 2020). This article examines how the role of the general practice nurse (GPN) can help to identify patients on the asthma register, who have as yet undiagnosed severe asthma and may benefit from targeted biological treatment.

Chronic breathlessness is very difficult to live with. It has widespread effects on both patients and those who care for them. And yet there are many ways that people can learn to cope with it, including using breathing techniques, adopting comfortable positions and using handheld fans and mobility aids. General practice nurses (GPNs) and other healthcare professionals have a vital role in helping people to manage their breathlessness. First, GPNs should acknowledge that breathlessness is difficult to live with and tell their patients that it is right that they have raised it as an issue to be addressed. Then, they can help patients to learn to manage their breathlessness and guide them to other sources of information and support. Some healthcare professionals find it hard to talk about breathlessness, but if they can help patients to see that it is an expected symptom, which is manageable, this could have a huge effect on their lives and help them to learn to live well with the condition.

Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions (LTC) in the world. The UK has one of the highest prevalence rates of asthma worldwide, with asthma-related deaths continuing to rise each year. Supported self-management is imperative to enable people with asthma to live well. Low levels of self-management are linked to increased cost,
faster disease progression, early mortality, and increased multimorbidity (NHS England, 2024). This article highlights how primary care nurses, such as general practice nurses (GPNs), are well placed to support people living with asthma to self-manage their condition through the use of motivational interviewing and personalised asthma action plans (PAAPs), using a case study to demonstrate learning.

After a long wait, and years after updated international guidelines, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has worked with the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) to produce a unified guideline on asthma for the UK (NICE et al, 2024).

Asthma is one of the most prevalent lung conditions in the UK. Around eight in 100 people are diagnosed with it (Asthma + Lung UK, 2024). However, according to the British Thoracic Society (BTS, 2024), asthma affects around 12% of the UK population, with 160,000 people being newly diagnosed each year. This article focuses on the importance of finding the right inhaler to meet patient needs and lifestyle, while exploring the concepts of shared decision-making within respiratory reviews.

Asthma is the most common longterm condition in children and young people (CYP),  affecting one in 11 five to 18 year olds (Asthma + Lung UK, 2024a). That is around three in every classroom. Most cases are mild to moderate and, in most children, a few  simple interventions can vastly reduce asthma symptoms and risk of attack (Bush and  Fleming, 2015; British Thoracic Society/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines network  [BTS/SIGN], 2019; Levy, 2020; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence  NICE], 2021). The awareness campaign, #AskAboutAsthma, was established to encourage  everyone seeing CYP with asthma to have these interventions front and centre of their minds.

Here, Laura King, senior children and young people’s asthma practitioner for North-East London, explores the core themes for good asthma education, often called the ‘brilliant basics’. No matter how severe a patient’s asthma is, this is key learning that patients and their families/carers need to understand if they are going to manage their asthma effectively.