Asthma diagnosis in children: more evidence needed

Treatment of asthma during pregnancy: more solid evidence needed.

In this issue of Thorax, a paper by Tata and colleagues assesses the association between maternal asthma and gestational exposure and asthma medications with the risk of congenital malformation in offspring using The Health Improvement Network primary care database (see page 981). Their findings showed that gestational exposure to commonly used asthma medications seems to be safe, although a mo...

Warning to pay more attention to fungal allergic asthma in children

Asthma is a global problem that affects over 300 million people in the world. The main reason of asthma is allergy and atopy. Asthmatic patients are sensitized to allergens that can be resulting asthma attacks. Fungi as an allergen can be sensitized atopic people and present a severe asthma. Fungi have been found in water-damaged homes of asthmatic patients. Allergic asthma is associated with e...

Diagnosis and management of asthma in children.

Diagnosis of asthma in children under five.

Cough and wheeze are common symptoms in childhood, but mostly do not signify a serious illness. On the basis of history and examination, such children should be allocated into one of five diagnostic categories. Very few need additional tests, although there are specific pointers in the initial evaluation which should actively be sought, and result in referral for investigation. In a community s...

Asthma in children: diagnosis and management.

• Send children aged ≥ 6 years for spirometry when they are symptomatic to improve accuracy. • Send patients for spirometry regularly as part of the assessment of asthma control. • Prescribe controller medication daily and not intermittently. • Controller medication does not need to be increased with an acute loss of asthma control in children. • At each visit, assess for proper use of asthma m...