Management of Asthma in Children Acute

Question 1

acute asthma management is like a menu

there are 3 parts to it - starts/lunch menu, main course, specials

what makes it up?

Answer 1

SABA – bronchodilators

If they have a few more symptoms you can give them oral prednisolone aswell

Work our what bit of menu they go for based on their respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, work of breathing

As these all change with age, not gonna say exactly what number you need to give each treatment option

More severe symptoms = higher level of treatment

SABA may be salbutamol

Question 2

So how do you chose which level of management?

Answer 2

Look at the patient:

• Respiratory rate
• Work of breathing
• Heart rate
• Oxygen saturations
• Ability to complete sentences
• Confusion
• Air entry

Decide wat level to start them on based on their clinical condition

Question 3

what do you do once you have started treatment for acute asthma?

Answer 3

• Start treatment and reassess in 1 hour
• Step up or down as appropriate

Review them

Rarely step up

Question 4

Just a reminder re steroids:

• Chronic/ maintenance treatment = _______ steroids (not oral steroids)
• Acute treatment = ____ steroids(not inhaled steroids)

Answer 4

inhaled

oral

Question 5

To summarise…

In acute asthma

1. The level of treatment is determined by ________ and ____
2. Treat and ________
3. Be guided by sats/oxygen requirement!

Answer 5

symptoms

sats

reassess