Practical approaches to the diagnosis of asthma in school-age children.
Expert Rev Respir Med
; 16(9): 973-981, 2022 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36125212
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Asthma is a chronic airways disease characterized by episodes of wheeze, chest tightness, and evidence of reversible airflow obstruction. Symptoms are frequently triggered by exercise, exposure to aeroallergens, and respiratory viruses. It is the commonest non-communicable respiratory condition in children, affecting over 5.5 million children in the European Union alone. Both over- and under- diagnosis of asthma are common for several reasons. AREAS COVERED The diagnosis is frequently based on parental or patient reported non-specific symptoms alone. All major asthma guidelines now recommend the use of objective tests, including spirometry, bronchodilator reversibility testing, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide measurements and challenge testing to confirm the diagnosis. Recently, the European Respiratory Society published the first evidence-based international guidelines for diagnosing asthma in school-age children using objective measures. Major barriers to implementation in primary care and less well-resourced healthcare settings are access to relevant objective tests for children and quality assurance to obtain reliable results. EXPERT OPINION We highlight the importance of diagnosing asthma in school-age children using objective tests and outline a practical approach for the use of widely available tests. We also review challenges and barriers to implementation of objective testing in children managed outside specialist settings.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Asma
/
Pruebas Respiratorias
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Guideline
Límite:
Child
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Expert Rev Respir Med
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido