Asthma in general practice. Opportunities for recognition and management.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of asthma-related symptoms and asthma among patients attending general practitioners. SETTING: Sydney. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey by written questionnaire. SAMPLE: 1933 patients of 21 general practitioners. RESULTS: 1. Wheeze and asthma were common in patients attending general practitioners; 19 per cent of patients reported recent wheeze, 9 per cent reported recent asthma. 2. Less than half of all patients with recent wheeze (47%) reported having asthma. 3. Recent wheeze without asthma was more common in boys (4.8%) than girls (0%) and more common in men (10%) than women (7%). 4. Although most patients reporting asthma (95%) had had their asthma treated by a doctor, three-quarters of those patients had experienced asthma related symptoms in the previous year. CONCLUSION: Asthma remains under-recognised and under-treated among patients attending general practitioners.