Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome

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Reactive air way diseases is an informal label that physicans apply to patients with symptoms similar to those of asthma. More generally, there is controversy over the use of RAD as a label in the healthcare setting, largely due to the ambiguous definition that the term has. Since RAD is not recognized as a real clinical diagnosis, its meaning is highly inconsistent and may cause confusion and misdiagnosis within the medical community. There are also concerns with overtreatment and undertreatment with RAD amongst physicians, since there is little formality with the label. Other problems that healthcare workers have with the use of the RAD label include its exclusion in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, which can lead to billing issues in hospitals and other health care facilities, and the creation of a fabricated sense of security when using it has a diagnosis.

RAD can be confused with reactive airways dysfunction syndrome, an asthma-like disorder that results from high exposure to vapors, fumes, and/or smoke. Unlike RAD, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome is recognized by multiple societies as a real clinical syndrome, including the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.

Best regards,

Rose Marie
Managing Editor
Reproductive Immunology: Open Access