title: Disease control in asthmatic children seen in private practice in Switzerland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease in Switzerland with a prevalence of 10%. Asthma has a high economic burden accounting for high medical costs. Assessment of disease control is likely to be of help in the implementation of strategies to improve asthma. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate asthma control and therapy regimens among children in private practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed asthma control as well as therapy regimens in 575 asthmatic children in an experience programme in Switzerland by using an abbreviated questionnaire based on the asthma control questionnaire and the child health questionnaire on Visit 1 and Visit 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Good asthma control at Visit 1 was only present in 25.7% of asthmatic children. Occasional asthma symptoms, limitation of physical activity, nocturnal awakening and anxiety of the parent was present in 80.5%, 41.2%, 46.8% and 57% of the children, respectively. After adjustment of therapy regimens at Visit 1, mainly by adding a leukotriene receptor antagonist, asthma control was reported to be much better in 53.4% of the children at Visit 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As asthma control is inadequately achieved within a major portion of asthmatic children, it is imperative to find measures to improve asthma control and hence, to reduce the burden of disease.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Paediatric Respiratory Research Group (SPRRG), Division of Respiratory Medicine University Children's Hospital Basel, Zürich and Alpine Children's Clinic Davos, Switzerland. alexander.moeller@kispi.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steurer-Stey
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brooks-Wildhaber
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Johannes H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wildhaber
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011331:Private Practice; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists