Asthma management in children

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract. New Zealand has one of the highest reported cases of asthma globally, with the prevalence of asthma highest amongst children and young adults.

It is dominant amongst Māori and Pacific children.

This short course incorporates:

• Asthma & Respiratory Foundation; NZ Child Asthma Guidelines (2020)
• SIGN 158: British guideline on the management of asthma (2019)
•  Starship Clinical Guideline: Asthma and wheeze, management of acute (2019)

Following completion of this short course you will:

• Understand diagnostic assessment by age group
• Understand non-pharmacological aspects of asthma management
• Manage pharmacological treatment of asthma in a step wise approach
• Know how to manage acute asthma in primary care and red flags for referral
• Understand the factors that contribute to inequalities in asthma health outcomes.

Note that this module covers assessment and management for children aged under 12 years. The assessment and management of adolescents is outside the scope of the module.

Certification

Once you have completed this short course and quiz, please click 'submit' where you will be taken to the results page. From here you can print your certificate for 1.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

Acknowledgements

Content created in 2020 by Dr Grace Lee, FRNZCGP, MBCHB, BSc, DipTravMed, with specialist review by Dr Rebecca Alekzander, Paediatrician at Kidz First Children’s Hospital & Community Health. Clinical Lead Inpatient Service. Honorary Lecturer University of Auckland.

The material is presented by the Goodfellow Unit (GFU), an accredited continuing medical education/ continuing professional development (CME/CPD) provider for the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and functions under a tripartite agreement between the Goodfellow Foundation, the College and the University of Auckland. The Unit is located within the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, and within the School of Population Health.