What are the goals of treating pediatric asthma?

Use of Inhaled Anti-inflammatory Medication in Children With Asthma in Managed Care Settings

“…Concern about adverse effects may also reduce the ICS use, both from a reluctance of physicians to prescribe ICSs and of families to continue using them. 24 Such concerns do not explain the concomitant underuse of alternative medications such as cromolyn. An alternative explanation why children may be dispensed 1 or 2 controllers per year is that physicians may be using them to manage exacerbations.…”

“…The severity of asthma may be underestimated in younger children. 24,30 Less frequent ␤-agonist use (1-3 dispensings per year) may indicate intermittent asthma in which controllers are not indicated, and intermittent disease may be more common in preschool-age than older children. Finally, concern over the potential long-term adverse effects of ICSs may cause physicians to use cromolyn in young children.…”

Quality of life in childhood asthma: use of the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire in a Swedish sample of children 7 to 9 years old

“…This, along with an increasing concern about the need for critical evaluation of treatment programmes, has led to a rapidly growing theoretical interest and empirical research in "quality of life" (QoL) in relation to health and disease (1). This is especially pertinent to asthma education and self-management programmes, mediating their effect on aspects of daily life not necessarily through improved lung function but rather by facilitating participation in peer activities despite the presence of disease (2).…”

Asma, competência social e transtornos comportamentais em crianças e adolescentes

“…Pelas suas características, a asma pode interferir em todo o funcionamento da criança e da família, sendo esta interferência proporcional ao controle dos sintomas (Kaugars et al, 2004 (Gavin et al, 1999;Kaugars et al, 2004;McQuaid & Walders, 2003;Miller & Strunk, 1989;Mrazek et al, 1998;Pedersen, 1997).…”

“…Os objetivos do tratamento são o controle dos sintomas e a melhora da função pulmonar. Incluem redução da freqüência e da gravidade das crises, redução da morbimortalidade, controle da hiper--reatividade de vias aéreas, normalização da inflamação crônica, prevenção do remodelamento de vias aéreas, desenvolvimento normal da função pulmonar, desenvolvimento psicossocial adequado e melhor qualidade de vida (McQuaid & Walders, 2003;Pedersen, 1997).…”