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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
02:34

Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Published on: May 10, 2024

Documented Caregiver Report of Wheezing at Home is Associated With Decreased Length of Pediatric Asthma

Martha Grace James1,2,3,4, Katelin Samaniego1,2,5, Raymond Parlar-Chun6,7,8

  • 1McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|June 30, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Caregiver recognition of wheezing in children with asthma is challenging. Early wheezing identification by parents may lead to shorter hospital stays, but under-recognition can worsen asthma exacerbations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Health Outcomes Research

Background:

  • Parental recognition of wheezing in pediatric asthma is often difficult.
  • This can delay medical care and exacerbate asthma symptoms.
  • Accurate symptom assessment is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between caregiver-reported wheezing at presentation and hospital outcomes in pediatric asthma admissions.
  • To identify factors influencing length of stay and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 732 pediatric asthma admissions over three years.
  • Extraction of symptom and demographic data from electronic health records.
  • Regression models used to analyze length of stay (LOS) and PICU admission.

Main Results:

  • Wheezing was reported in 45% of cases, associated with a 10% shorter LOS (IRR 0.9, P = .04).
  • Common symptoms included shortness of breath (89%), cough (79%), and congestion (47%).
  • Older age and female sex were linked to longer LOS; no variables predicted PICU admission.

Conclusions:

  • Under-recognition of wheezing by caregivers may contribute to prolonged hospitalizations.
  • Improved parental education on recognizing asthma symptoms is needed.
  • Timely identification of wheezing can potentially reduce asthma exacerbation severity and healthcare utilization.

Keywords:
asthmacaregiverselectronic health recordshospitalizationlength of stayparentspediatric intensive care unitswheezing

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