Related Experiment Videos
[Consensus conference. The management of asthma in children]
1Département de Pédiatrie, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris.
Insights
This consensus defines childhood asthma and outlines its diagnosis and management. Proper asthma control allows children to lead normal, active lives, including sports participation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Childhood asthma diagnosis relies heavily on clinical history, with further tests confirming impressions.
- Asthma is defined as intermittent wheezing/cough when likely and other diseases are ruled out.
Framework:
- Multidisciplinary approach integrating psychosocial factors and patient education.
- Drug selection is stratified by asthma severity: beta-2-agonists for mild, cromolyn sodium for moderate-to-severe, and xanthines, ipratropium bromide, or oral corticosteroids for persistent/severe cases.
Implementation:
- Emphasizes thorough clinical history for accurate asthma diagnosis.
- Recommends objective tests solely for confirming clinical diagnosis and guiding therapy.
- Integrates psychosocial assessments and patient information into management.
Implications:
- Correctly managed childhood asthma enables a normal, physically active life.
- Effective asthma control leads to near-universal resumption of normal activities, including sports.
Abstract:
At this international consensus conference, a number of conclusions concerning the diagnosis and management of childhood asthma were reached. The following practical definition was given to asthma: intermittent wheezing and/or cough in a clinical situation where asthma is likely and less common diseases have been outruled. A thorough clinical history is essential to the diagnosis of asthma. Additional tests are used only to confirm the clinical impression and to provide objective evidence supporting therapeutic recommendations. Multidisciplinary management includes an evaluation of psychosocial factors and patient information. Drugs should be selected according to the severity of the condition: beta-2-agonists for intermittent mild wheezing; cromolyn sodium for moderate to severe asthma; xanthines, ipratropium bromide, and oral corticosteroids in more persistent and severe forms. The child and parents should be told that a normal, physically active life is quite possible if the disease is correctly controlled. The reward for correct management of asthma is resumption, in nearly every case, of a normal life including active participation in sports.