Final answer:
For a patient with mild persistent asthma, exhibiting symptoms four times a week and nocturnal cough twice a month, with normal PFTs, treatment would typically include avoiding asthma triggers and probably starting on inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonists, with short-acting beta-agonists for acute relief.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is describing a case of asthma with symptoms occurring four times a week and nocturnal cough twice a month, but with normal pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The appropriate treatment would likely involve a stepwise approach to manage the asthma, including lifestyle adjustments to avoid known triggers and possibly starting on low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs).
Given the described frequency of symptoms, this falls into a mild persistent asthma category. Given the patient's symptoms and occurrence of nighttime cough, it is also important to assess for other possible conditions that can mimic or aggravate asthma, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or obstructive sleep apnea, which may require additional treatment.