Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Apr;6(1):e001277.
doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001277.

Diagnosis and management of asthma in children

Joanne Martin  1   2   3 , Jennifer Townshend #  4 , Malcolm Brodlie #  5   4
Affiliations
Review

Diagnosis and management of asthma in children

Joanne Martin et al. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Asthma is the the most common chronic respiratory condition of childhood worldwide, with around 14% of children and young people affected. Despite the high prevalence, paediatric asthma outcomes are inadequate, and there are several avoidable deaths each year. Characteristic asthma features include wheeze, shortness of breath and cough, which are typically triggered by a number of possible stimuli. There are several diagnostic challenges, and as a result, both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of paediatric asthma remain problematic.Effective asthma management involves a holistic approach addressing both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management, as well as education and self-management aspects. Working in partnership with children and families is key in promoting good outcomes. Education on how to take treatment effectively, trigger avoidance, modifiable risk factors and actions to take during acute attacks via personalised asthma action plans is essential.This review aimed to provide an overview of good clinical practice in the diagnosis and management of paediatric asthma. We discuss the current diagnostic challenges and predictors of life-threatening attacks. Additionally, we outline the similarities and differences in global paediatric asthma guidelines and highlight potential future developments in care. It is hoped that this review will be useful for healthcare providers working in a range of child health settings.

Keywords: therapeutics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: MB received investigator-led research grants from Pfizer and Roche Diagnostics; speaker fees paid to Newcastle University from Novartis, Roche Diagnostics and TEVA; and travel expenses to educational meetings Boehringer Ingelheim and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

References

    1. Zar HJ, Ferkol TW. The global burden of respiratory disease-impact on child health. Pediatr Pulmonol 2014;49:430–4. 10.1002/ppul.23030 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fleming M, Fitton CA, Steiner MFC, et al. . Educational and health outcomes of children treated for asthma: Scotland-wide record linkage study of 683 716 children. Eur Respir J 2019;54:1802309. 10.1183/13993003.02309-2018 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nichols M, Miller S, Treiber F, et al. . Patient and parent perspectives on improving pediatric asthma self-management through a mobile health intervention: pilot study. JMIR Form Res 2020;4:e15295. 10.2196/15295 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. FitzGerald JM, Barnes PJ, Chipps BE, et al. . The burden of exacerbations in mild asthma: a systematic review. ERJ Open Res 2020;6:00359-2019. 10.1183/23120541.00359-2019 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Levy ML, Fleming L, Warner JO, et al. . Paediatric asthma care in the UK: fragmented and fatally fallible. Br J Gen Pract 2019;69:405–6. 10.3399/bjgp19X704933 - DOI - PMC - PubMed