Emergency department treatment of asthma in children: A review
Moon O. Lee, Shyam M. Sivasankar, Nicholas Pokrajac, Cherrelle Smith, Angela Lumba‐Brown
Abstract
Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children, with >700,000 emergency department (ED) visits each year. Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by a combination of airway inflammation, bronchoconstriction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and variable outflow obstruction, with clinical presentations ranging from mild to life-threatening. Standardized ED treatment can improve patient outcomes, including fewer hospital admissions. Informed by the most recent guidelines, this review focuses on the optimal approach to diagnosis and treatment of children with acute asthma exacerbations who present to the ED.
Topics & Concepts
MedicineEmergency departmentAsthmaBronchoconstrictionAsthma exacerbationsAirway obstructionAirway hyperresponsivenessBronchial hyperresponsivenessPediatricsIntensive care medicineDiseaseAirwayRespiratory diseaseEmergency medicineInternal medicineAnesthesiaPsychiatryLungAsthma and respiratory diseasesRespiratory and Cough-Related ResearchInhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery