Archive for the ‘Asthma In Children’ Category
Background Of Asthma
Asthma’s Background
Background:
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by an obstruction of airflow,
which may be completely or partially reversed with or without specific therapy. Airway inflammation is the result of interactions between various cells, cellular elements, and cytokines. In susceptible individuals, airway inflammation may cause recurrent or persistent bronchospasm, which causes symptoms that include wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough, particularly at night (early morning hours) or after exercise.
Airway inflammation is associated with airway hyperreactivity or bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), which is defined as the inherent tendency of the airways to narrow in response to various stimuli (eg, environmental allergens and irritants).
Asthma affects an estimated 300 million individuals worldwide (see Epidemiology). The prevalence of asthma is 
increasing, especially in children. Annually, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 15 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost and 250,000 asthma deaths are reported worldwide. Approximately 500,000 annual hospitalizations (34.6% in individuals aged 18 y or younger) are due to asthma. In the United States, asthma prevalence, having increased from 1980 to 1996, showed a plateau at 9.1% of children (6.7 million) in 2007.
The cost of illness related to asthma is around $6.2 billion. Each year, an estimated 1.81 million people (47.8% in individuals aged 18 y or younger) require treatment in the emergency department. Among children and adolescents aged 5-17 years, asthma accounts for a loss of 10 million school days 
and costs caretakers $726.1 million because of work absence.
Guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program provide recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric asthma (see Clinical Presentation, Workup, and Treatment and Management).
For more information, see the Medscape Reference topic Asthma.