A survey on the diagnosis and management of asthma in young children

Abstract

Objective: To examine how asthma in children less than 5 years of age is diagnosed and managed by general practitioners (GPs) and how this compares with the National Asthma Campaign guidelines.

Method: A cross sectional postal survey of 164 GPs in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne in November, 1995.

Results: General practitioners diagnose asthma primarily on history, with the symptoms of nocturnal cough, wheeze and chronic cough considered as most important. Wheeze is the most important sign. An overuse of oral beta 2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids were found.

Conclusions: Asthma is diagnosed primarily on history and the presence of a wheeze helps to confirm the diagnosis. Management is appropriate overall, but there seems to be an overtreatment of mild asthmatics, and an overuse of inhaled corticosteroids.