The perception of asthma.

Subjective scores of 'wheeze' or 'tightness in the chest' were compared with the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) in 40 asthmatic children before and after administration of nebulized salbutamol. Symptom scores were poor predictors of the degree of airways obstruction. Many children underestimated their improvement after salbutamol. The results suggest that reliance on the children's perception of his symptoms and his response to a bronchodilator may result in incorrect assessment and inappropriate treatment.