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Specialist approach to childhood asthma: does it exist?
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
|July 23, 1983
Summary
Asthma management advice varies significantly among pediatricians and consultant physicians. These expert disagreements have concerning implications for patient care and parental guidance regarding childhood asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
- Effective management relies on consistent advice from healthcare professionals.
- Discrepancies in specialist opinions can impact patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the level of agreement among specialists in pediatric asthma care.
- To identify areas of significant disagreement in asthma management and advice.
- To understand the implications of these differences for clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- A postal questionnaire was distributed to 26 pediatricians and 21 consultant physicians.
- The questionnaire covered various aspects of asthma management, referral attitudes, and parental/child advice.
- Responses from 47 specialists were analyzed for areas of consensus and divergence.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in opinion were found for over half of the questions posed.
- Disagreements were noted on the utility of allergen skin tests and breathing exercises.
- Paediatricians and non-paediatricians differed on issues like aminophylline use and swimming's effect on asthma.
Conclusions:
- Considerable variation exists in specialist opinions on pediatric asthma management.
- These expert disagreements pose challenges for consistent advice to general practitioners, children, and parents.
- Further research is needed to establish standardized guidelines for pediatric asthma care.