[Access to health care for asthma in Italian children and adolescents]

Abstract

Bronchial asthma represents the most frequent chronic illness in the paediatric age. Although a number of guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease exist, some studies have shown that their application on a large scale is still lacking, in this way leading to the inadequate treatment of symptoms and the frequent use of emergency visits and hospitalization. Within the scope of the SIDRIA-2 project, this article describes the main aspects of diagnosis, management and treatment of asthma in children (6/7 years old) and adolescents (13/14 years old). The information was obtained from the SIDRIA questionnaire completed by the parents. The analysis of data demonstrated some relevant differences between the actual management of asthma in the paediatric age in Italy and the suggestions available from the guidelines and the literature. Moreover, some choices in the management of asthma were associated to the socio-economic level of families of children and adolescents, such as a lower use of spirometry and a higher frequency of hospitalization in disadvantaged subjects.