title: Variability in anesthesiologists' approach to the preoperative management of asthmatic children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No consensus guidelines exist for the preoperative treatment of asthmatic children referred for elective surgery. We investigated the attitude of pediatric anesthesiologists to this issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  National survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Certified Israeli pediatric anesthesiologists from all 24 general hospitals in Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one questions regarding the approach to preoperative management of asthmatic children including 6 case scenarios with a variety of clinical situations and treatments of asthmatic children. The results were compared with the attitude of pediatric pulmonologists recently published using a similar methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four pediatric anesthesiologists from all 24 general hospitals in Israel responded. Twenty-five percent of pediatric anesthesiologists answered that, in addition to pediatric anesthesiologists, the primary pediatrician should be consulted, and 70% believed that a pediatric pulmonologists should also be consulted. Overall, results showed a wide variability between responders especially for preschool children and unstable school-aged asthmatic children for both disciplines. The variability referred to the use of any treatment, bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids and their combination, addition of systemic corticosteroids, and the length of preoperative treatment. Compared with pediatric pulmonologists, a better within-discipline agreement was observed by the pediatric anesthesiologists for stable school-aged asthmatic children with a lower inclination to augment preoperative treatment (P< .001). No difference was observed for the preschool children with asthma and for the unstable school-aged asthmatic child.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A wide variability exists in pediatric anesthesiologists' approach to the preoperative management of asthmatic children for most common case scenarios. This is probably explained by the heterogeneity of asthma, the type of surgery, the lack of guidelines, and the paucity of data. Similarities as well as differences exist between pediatric anesthesiologists and pulmonologists. Further studies and implementation of consensus guidelines are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel. Electronic address: domany@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Keren
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Armoni Domany
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gut
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel.
authors.forename: Bat-El
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Yakir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Israel.
authors.forename: Yakov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sivan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000072080:Anesthesiologists / Q000592:standards*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D000072143:Pediatricians / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000592:standards*; D000072106:Pulmonologists / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents
keywords: Anesthesia; Asthma; Pediatrics; Surgery; Survey