Childhood Asthma PDF

Preface

With worldwide prevalence of asthma increasing at an alarming rate over the last 20 years, it is timely to maintain frequent updates on the current concepts of asthma epidemiology, natural history, and management, as well as projecting a view for future management. We have gathered together a group of world experts to discuss the current understanding of asthma and to project their views on the major advances that will shape the management of asthma over the next 10 years.

The goals of asthma management have changed from symptom resolution to symptom prevention to early diagnosis and intervention that can effectively alter the natural history of asthma. The first section of this book is devoted to a comprehensive review of the natural history of asthma, including epidemiology, development immunology, airway pathology, and features that differentiate childhood asthma from adult-onset asthma. In addition, the effects of asthma on the growing child are discussed.

Part two reviews those conditions that can significantly alter the course of asthma, including viral infections, the environment, and the effect of early pharmacologic intervention. Part three reviews advances in technology that will impact the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma, including pulmonary function measurement, inflammatory mediators, imaging, and pharmacogenetics.

Part four reviews management principles that include education, application of asthma guidelines, selecting medication delivery devices, assessing the variable response to treatment intervention, and immunotherapy. In addition, the unique features of asthma management in special populations, such as inner-city children, adolescents, the competitive athlete, and the difficult-to-control asthmatic, will be discussed. This section will also address the challenging issues of medication adherence and concomitant medical disorders that impact asthma control.

Finally, we will project what lies in store for the future, with the rapid advances in technology and the introduction of many new medications that will change the landscape of asthma care.