What will confirm the diagnosis of asthma in children?
Medical history
The doctor will seriously consider a diagnosis of asthma if the child has a history of periodic attacks of breathlessness, coughing and wheezing, perhaps accompanied by chest tightness. Parents should describe the pattern of symptoms and possible precipitation factors, including whether the episodes often occur at night, if they are more frequent during spring or fall (common allergy seasons), and if the exercise , a respiratory infection or exposure to cold air has ever triggered an attack. The doctor should be informed about any family member have a history of allergic disorders such as eczema, urticaria or rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages).
Pulmonary function tests
If asthma is suspected, the doctor will usually perform pulmonary function tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease. Using a spirometer, an instrument that measures the air taken in and exhaled through the lungs, the doctor will determine several values: (1) vital capacity (VC acronym in English), which is the maximum volume of air that can be inhaled or exhaled , (2) the rate of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR, by acronym in English), which is the maximum flow rate that can be generated during a forced exhalation, (3) and forced expiratory volume (FEV1 acronym English), which is the maximum volume of air expired in one second. During an attack. reducing airway FEV1 and PEFR decrease.
If these measurements indicate that a degree of airway obstruction is present, the doctor may administer a bronchodilator (a drug that opens the airways) and then measure lung function again - revocation of obstruction confirms a diagnosis of asthma . If there are no signs of airflow obstruction when the patient is examined, the doctor may perform a challenge test by administering a drug (histamine or methacholine) to induce an increase in airway resistance. A positive response to this test indicates that the child has asthma.
Diagnosis of exercise-induced asthma
A simple test can be used to examine the exercise-induced asthma in a school or medical office. After breathing into a spirometer, the child up and down a step until a heart rate of 150-200 beats per minute is maintained, detected with a monitor attached to the child's chest. After three and ten minutes, the child is breathing into the spirometer, if FEV1 has fallen over 15%, asthma is suspected and the child is referred to an asthma specialist.
Laboratory tests
The doctor may also perform additional tests to rule out other diseases or for more information about the causes of asthma in children. Such tests may include chest X-rays and sinus, complete blood count, sputum examination for the presence of eosinophils (white blood cells that are highly characteristic of asthma) and skin tests to measure the child's response to inhaled allergens common.
