Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
UNM Adult Asthma
Program & Clinic:
For
Appointments call (505) 272-9365
Email:
adultasthma@salud.unm.edu
Location: University of New Mexico Hospital,
2211 Lomas Blvd. NE
Ambulatory
Center, 5th floor, Clinic B,
Patient Parking:
http://hospitals.unm.edu/BBRPavilion/Parking
The Adult Asthma Clinic at UNM
is accepting new patient referrals with Drs. Harkins and Iwamoto
and Karen-Lynn Fiato ACNP, Asthma Educator. The adult asthma clinic will
offer care of patients with mild to severe asthma.
Goal:
To enhance self-management
techniques and compliance to therapy in order to reduce the incidence and
severity of asthma attacks, asthma related complications and overall costs.
Benefits Include:
- Decreased hospitalizations
- Decreased emergency department visits
- Increased patient satisfaction
- Decreased interference with daily activities
- Decreased unscheduled physician visits
- Decreased medication side effects
Who should be referred to the Adult Asthma Clinic?
- Adults who respond poorly to treatment and poor control interferes with the
patient’s quality of life
- Patients who despite regular use of anti-inflammatory medications must use an
inhaled beta agonist frequently, exclusive of its use in exercise induced asthma
- Patients that experience frequent nocturnal episodes of asthma
- Patients using frequent bursts of oral corticosteroids or daily oral
corticosteroids
- Adults who are newly diagnosed with asthma or the diagnosis of asthma is
in doubt
- Patients with asthma symptoms more than twice a week
- Patients that exhibit excessive liability of pulmonary function: highly variable
peak flow rates
- Patients with hospitalizations or emergency room visits for asthma
Sudden severe attacks of asthma
- When there is concern about side effects of asthma medications
What We Can Offer:
Comprehensive evaluation and treatment including spirometry, education
sessions, action plans, contact numbers
A treatment plan which is re-evaluated on a regular basis with the goals of
treating the patient’s asthma with the lowest amount of medications necessary
Prompt access to care to be seen on urgent basis as needed
Standardized steroid protocols for asthma exacerbations
Evaluation for Vocal Cord Dysfunction Syndrome
Exercise testing for evaluation of exercise induced asthma and exercise
capacity
Patient Education Resources
Asthma Patient
Education Tutorial
Asthma Patient
Education Handouts
