Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- presence of risk factors
- wheezing
- shortness of breath
- tachypnoea
- chest tightness
Other diagnostic factors
- cough
- exercise limitation
- tachycardia
- inability to speak or feed
- intercostal, sub-costal, or sternal retraction
- accessory muscle use
- pulsus paradoxus
- sleep disturbance
- bradycardia
- cyanosis
- exhaustion
- decreased consciousness level
Risk factors
- viral infection
- inhaled allergens
- exercise
- non-adherence with regular asthma medication
- history of other atopic disease
- family history of atopic disease
- previous history of severe asthma exacerbation
- low socio-economic status
- environmental irritants
- bacterial infection
- emotion
- obesity
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use
Diagnostic investigations
1st investigations to order
- therapeutic trial with a short-acting beta-2 agonist
- peak expiratory flow rate or FEV1
Treatment algorithm
Contributors
Authors VIEW ALL
Respiratory and Sleep Physician
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
Associate Professor
Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health
Sydney Medical School
University of Sydney
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia
Disclosures
PDR provided training and quality control overreading for multiple breath washout measurements performed during a pharmaceutical sponsored study. Reimbursement for the services provided were paid to PDR's place of work.
Professor
Menzies School of Health Research
Charles Darwin University
Northern Territory
Respiratory and Sleep Physician
Royal Children's Hospital
Brisbane
Australia
Disclosures
AC has received research funds from governmental bodies such as Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. AC is an author of a reference cited in this monograph.
Peer reviewers VIEW ALL
Professor of Pediatrics
University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital
Chicago
IL
Disclosures
LAL declares that she has no competing interests.
Consultant in Paediatrics
Adolescent Medicine & Paediatric Respiratory Medicine
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
London
UK
Disclosures
CM declares that he has no competing interests.
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