title: A young child with a history of wheeze.
abstract: The parents of a 3-year old boy are anxious about their son who has recurring episodes of wheezing. They are frustrated that no one seems to be able to give them answers to their questions and would like a referral to a specialist. Does their son have asthma and what is the prognosis; how can the recurrent wheezing be managed and can the risk of asthma be reduced; are there lifestyle changes that could improve the environment and avoid triggers? Communication and support from the family practice team were essential. Listening to the parents' concerns, explaining the diagnostic uncertainty, being realistic about what drug treatments could achieve, and providing practical advice on inhaler use and trigger avoidance reassured the parents that there was a strategy for managing their son's wheeze. The specialist referral was postponed.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine Dentistry & Nursing, Child Health, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, University of Glasgow, Zone 1, Ground Floor, Office Block, Glasgow, UK. james.paton@glasgow.ac.uk.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paton
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bindels
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Sciennes Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1LF, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.affiliation: Patient and Public Involvement Group, Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Doorway 3, Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK.
authors.forename: Jodie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biggins
authors.affiliation: Makerere University Lung Institute Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nantanda
authors.affiliation: The Research Unit for General Practice and Section of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marianne Stubbe
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Østergaard
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis*