Chinese expert consensus on diagnosis and management of severe asthma

Bronchial asthma (referred to as “asthma” hereinafter in this consensus document) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease with well-accepted heterogeneity and complex pathophysiological processes (1). Severe asthma is recognized as a poorly controlled condition that seriously affects quality of life, accounts for massive use of medical resources, and imposes huge socioeconomic burdens, representing a primary cause of asthma-related disability and death in the patients (2-5). In this regard, improving the diagnosis and treatment of severe asthma should be of paramount importance towards better outcomes in overall control and prognosis, as well as lower medical costs (5).