A Pathway to Better Pediatric 哮喘 Management

作者：Katherine Caldwell，医学博士

专长：儿科住院医师

发布日期：2019年6月

目前有 6人以上.200万儿童 who have pediatric or childhood asthma. 哮喘是一种慢性疾病 in which the airways in your 肺 become swollen or inflamed and produce extra mucus, which affects your ability to move air in and out of your 肺. In children, it’s the leading cause of hospitalization and 错过上学的日子.

While pediatric asthma has no known cure, proper management can help control flare-ups as well as mitigate and reduce damage to your child’s 越来越多的肺.

体征和症状

There’s no one way to experience asthma. 数量和严重程度 of symptoms may vary from child to child, or even from one attack to the 下一个. Additionally, while asthma isn’t necessarily different in children versus adults, symptoms can get better or worse as your child 年龄. In fact, it’s not unheard of for asthmatic symptoms to completely 成年后消失.

Some typical signs of asthma in children include:

• 胸闷或压力
• Wheezing, particularly when exhaling
• 呼吸急促（气促）
• Coughing that worsens with a cold or the flu
• 夜间咳嗽或喘息
• Prolonged recovery from respiratory infection
• Difficulty breathing when playing or exercising

原因和诱因

One of the key elements in managing your child’s asthma is knowing what triggers cause flare-ups and doing what you can to prevent or limit 接触它们.

常见的哮喘诱因包括：

• 病毒——感冒、流感等.
• 过敏原——动物皮屑
• 尘螨
• 蟑螂
• 室内模具
• 花粉和室外霉菌
• 刺激物——烟草烟雾
• Irritants – smoke, strong odors, and sprays

Things that make asthma symptoms worse include:

• 用真空吸尘器打扫
• 食品和饮料中的亚硫酸盐
• 寒冷的空气
• Other medicines like cold medicines, aspirin, vitamins and other supplements as well as nonselective beta-blockers (including those in eye drops).
• 压力

While incredibly common, the exact cause of asthma is still largely unknown. Some factors that are thought to affect one’s predisposition for the disease include having parents with asthma or allergies, a history of respiratory infections in infancy, and exposure to environmental triggers like air pollution and secondhand cigarette smoke. 当浓烟滚滚 of wildfires, such as the Camp Fire of 2018, affect those who already have asthma, it’s unknown how exposure will impact the instances of pediatric asthma in the long term.

何时寻求医疗救助

In children, unmanaged asthma can quickly lead to a medical emergency. If you suspect asthma, it’s important to see your doctor to confirm a diagnosis and begin a management program. 一些赠品可能表明 患有哮喘的孩子包括：

• Chronic cough or coughing fits caused by physical activity
• Episodes of bronchitis or pneumonia
• Complaints of chest tightness or “feeling funny”
• Wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing

Even with proper management, asthma attacks may be severe enough to warrant 急诊就诊. Regardless of diagnosis, seek immediate medical attention if your child experiences any of the following:

• Has to stop to catch their breath while doing nonstrenuous activities like 说话或涂色
• Unable to breathe with their chest; using abdominal muscles to breathe
• Visible difficulty breathing; flaring nostrils

哮喘治疗进展

Because of its prevalence and potential for long-term lung damage, pediatric asthma is very much a public health issue. 事实上，我们最近的社区 Needs Assessment identified it as one of the most pressing public health needs facing the Washington Township Health Care District.

Since 2018, Washington Hospital has taken part in the Pathways to Improve Pediatric 哮喘 Care (PIPA) study, a collaborative study between UCSF and the American Academy of Pediatrics. 实现这个的目标 clinical pathway, or care roadmap, is to standardize processes, improve quality of care, and give our youngest asthma 病人 the best possible outcomes.

To achieve this, we created a multidisciplinary team that focused on improving our care of asthma 病人 年龄 2 to 17. 除了培训医院 staff on asthma response protocols, the program seeks to educate 病人, parents, and the public on pediatric asthma; proper asthma management; and limiting exposure to common triggers like secondhand smoke.

It’s our hope that greater public awareness of the dangers of asthma and continued evidence-based improvements to our own asthma protocols will lead to continued success in the treatment of our youngest asthma 病人. If you suspect your child has asthma, I encourage you to speak to your 初级保健提供者. With their guidance, you can learn to manage your child’s illness by identifying triggers, create a home and school response action plan, and reduce the impact of this illness on your child’s health and 幸福.