Asthma Clinical Features In Children Flashcards
What is the number 1 rule in asthma
No wheeze = No asthma!
Name 6 features of asthma
Panting It is chronic not acute Wheeze, cough and SOB Multiple triggers It is variable/reversible Responds to asthma treatment
Name the triggers of asthma
URTI (rhinovirus in 75%) Exercise (football and trampolining) Allergen Cold air Other (Emotion, menstruation)
What are 3 key words associated with asthma
Wheeze
Variability
Respond to treatment
Is asthma a diagnosis of exclusion
No
Name 5 similarities of childhood asthma and adult asthma
Symptoms Common Same triggers Same treatment Same pathology
What is the reticular basement membrane (RBM) in children and adults with asthma
About the same
Name 3 differences between pediatric and adult asthma
Affects more boys in children and women in adults
Severe asthma in children tends to resolve
Occupational asthma in children is uncommon
How many children in the UK are affected with asthma
1 million
How many children in Scotland are affected with asthma
100,000
How much of the UK children affected with asthma take inhaled steriods
5%
Has the prevalence of asthma been increasing or decreasing
Decreasing since 2004
Has the prevalence of wheeze been increasing or decreasing
Decreasing since 1999
Can asthma be caused by a single gene
No it is a disease of multiple hits
Name the type of hits which can cause asthma to develop
Genes
Inherently abnormal lungs
Early onset atopy
Later exposures (e.g. rhinovirus, exercise, smoking)
State the inconsistencies which can occur in asthma
"Transient” vs persistent Different severities Different age at onset Heterogeneity in response Different triggers
Why is asthma able to produce so many inconsistencies
Everyone is affected by the environment, atopy and lung function
The above contributions will add up to cause asthma however every individual’s exposure is different and therefore cause ‘inconsistences’ in asthma
What is the most important aspect of diagnosing asthma in children
History
What is the history of a child with asthma most likely to look like
Cough
Wheeze
Shortness of breath Upper respiratory tract infections
Should a child be examined when trying to diagnose asthma
No as they are unlikely to be wheezing