ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a 10-year-old who is presented with a 2-day history of worsening cough, and with shortness of breath. The child is having a severe asthma attack and should be managed in the resuscitation area of the Emergency Department. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood in the United Kingdom, and exacerbations are frequently encountered in the Emergency Department. Clinical features include cough, wheeze and breathlessness, which are secondary to bronchospasm, bronchial inflammation and mucosal oedema. Children with severe or life-threatening asthma should receive frequent doses of nebulised salbutamol driven by oxygen. If there is poor response, treatment can be escalated in the form of intravenous salbutamol, intravenous magnesium sulphate and intravenous aminophylline. If the patient responds to initial management and is felt to be appropriately stable, he can be transferred to the ward for inpatient care.
