Asthma in children: Gaps between current management and best practice

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the extent to which steps three to six of the Australian six-step asthma management plan are being implemented in the community and to identify barriers to the adoption of best practice asthma management. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Royal Children's Hospital and Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne. Two hundred and thirty-one 2-5-year old children who visited the emergency department for asthma were enrolled in the study. Main outcome measures were frequency of asthma management practices and barriers, as measured by parent-completed questionnaire. Results: Gaps: 51% of parents do not feel they have enough information about asthma trigge..