Monitoring asthma in children.
The goal of asthma treatment is to obtain clinical control and reduce future risks to the patient. To reach this goal in children with asthma, ongoing monitoring is essential. While all components of asthma, such as symptoms, lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, may exist in various combinations in different individuals, to date there is limited evidence on how to integrate these for optimal monitoring of children with asthma. The aims of this ERS Task Force were to describe the current practise and give an overview of the best available evidence on how to monitor children with asthma. 22 clinical and research experts reviewed the literature. A modified Delphi method and four Task Force meetings were used to reach a consensus. This statement summarises the literature on monitoring children with asthma. Available tools for monitoring children with asthma, such as clinical tools, lung function, bronchial responsiveness and inflammatory markers, are described as are the ways in which they may be used in children with asthma. Management-related issues, comorbidities and environmental factors are summarised. Despite considerable interest in monitoring asthma in children, for many aspects of monitoring asthma in children there is a substantial lack of evidence.
Dept of Paediatrics/Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Mariëlle W
MW
Pijnenburg
Women's and Children's Health Dept, Unit of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Eugenio
E
Baraldi
Dept of Paediatrics/Princess Amalia Children's Centre, Isala Hospital, Zwolle, The Netherlands UMCG Postgraduate School of Medicine, University Medical Centre and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Paul L P
PL
Brand
Dept of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Kai-Håkon
KH
Carlsen
Respiratory and Allergic Disease Division, Dept of Paediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Ernst
E
Eber
Dept of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria.
Thomas
T
Frischer
Depart of Women's and Children's Health and Centre for Allergy Research, Karolinska Institutet and Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gunilla
G
Hedlin
Leicestershire Partnership Trust and Dept of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Neeta
N
Kulkarni
Dept of Paediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
Christiane
C
Lex
Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Mika J
MJ
Mäkelä
Dept of Paediatrics, University Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Eva
E
Mantzouranis
Division of Respiratory Medicine, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Alexander
A
Moeller
Dept of Respiratory Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Ian
I
Pavord
Paediatric Section, Dept of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Giorgio
G
Piacentini
Dept of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
David
D
Price
Dept of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Bart L
BL
Rottier
Leukocyte Biology and Respiratory Paediatrics, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Sejal
S
Saglani
Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Peter D
PD
Sly
Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, USA.
Stanley J
SJ
Szefler
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Thomy
T
Tonia
Dept of Paediatrics, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Steve
S
Turner
Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital, Brighton, UK.
Edwina
E
Wooler
Dept of Paediatrics, Women and Children's Division, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway Dept of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Karin C
KC
Lødrup Carlsen
D026683:Advisory Committees; D000367:Age Factors; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents