Diagnosis and classification of asthma in children
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SUMMARY OF PRACTICE POINTS
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LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
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| In young children, the diagnosis of asthma can be confirmed by a clinical response to an inhaled bronchodilator. |
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| In children aged 7 years and over, use spirometry to confirm the diagnosis of asthma. |
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| In young children, care is needed to exclude non-asthma causes of wheeze |
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| When cough is the predominant symptom of suspected asthma, careful assessment is needed to avoid making an incorrect diagnosis of asthma, or instigating inappropriate management. |
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| Exercise-induced dyspnoea is not always due to asthma, even in children with a confirmed diagnosis of asthma |
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| Asthma management in children should be based on a careful assessment of the pattern of asthma. |
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Asthma in children differs from asthma in adults in clinically important aspects, which include the patterns of asthma, natural history and anatomical factors. The pattern and severity of asthma in childhood vary widely. For the majority of children, asthma will resolve - or at least improve - with age.
Content Created (Thursday, 16 November 2006)
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 May 2007 )
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Diagnosis in children 
