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Asthma Pediatric Research Article

Abigail R. Langmeyer

Centofanti School of Nursing, Youngstown State University

NURS 4832L: Nursing Care of Children and Families

Dr. Sheila Blank

April 19, 2023

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Asthma Pediatric Research Article

Asthma is known to be one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases in children.

Unfortunately, there is a high incidence of children being underdiagnosed with asthma later in

life. When there is an underdiagnosed illness occurring, medical treatment is delayed, and this

can result in decreased lung function and increased chances of mortality. The article, “Effect of

diagnosis delay on pulmonary function in Children with Asthma” published by Xiang Ma and

Zhongtao Gai, discusses the importance of early detection of asthma within children.

The article starts by explaining the negative effects of children with a delayed diagnosis

of asthma. In severe cases of underdiagnosis asthma, children can develop decreased pulmonary

functions and the effects of long-term airway remodeling. Despite asthma affecting the lungs and

respiratory system, it is crucial to understand that asthma can affect the child systemically. The

children's overall quality of life decreases. Children may experience disturbance in sleep

regulation, avoid activities such as school and exercise, and reduce mental and physical

development. Asthma in younger infants is hard to diagnose and is often mistaken as an upper

respiratory infection. The infants cannot perform the specific tests to fully make a true diagnosis

of asthma. However, advanced pulmonary function tests performed by specialized

pulmonologists can help diagnose and treat asthma early in life. Therefore, parents need to be

aware of the quality of the physician when their child is showing signs and symptoms of a

respiratory disorder. Correct treatment of asthma can immediately improve the pulmonary

function and quality of life in the child.

It is important to understand the definition of delayed asthma diagnosis. The delayed

diagnosis is defined as the period between the date of the onset of symptoms and the date of the
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diagnosis. One of the studies performed in the article proved that a delay in asthma can affect the

child’s long-term health status. Within the results of the study, researchers discovered that the

shortest delay diagnosis of asthma was on the same day of the onset and symptoms. Meanwhile,

the longest delayed diagnosis of asthma was 10 years from the onset of signs and symptoms. The

study analyzes the lung function effects of delayed diagnosed asthma. The participants included

two groups of children who presented onset of signs and symptoms with asthma less than three

years old and greater than three years old. They discovered between these two groups there was a

delayed diagnosis of asthma. The two different groups present a decrease in lung function. By

reading this study, families and medical professionals can understand the definition and effect of

a delayed diagnosis of asthma in children.

The information and research provided by the article can help parents and children

prevent the delayed diagnosis of asthma. Children presenting abnormal respiratory symptoms

need to be assessed by a pediatric pulmonologist, especially respiratory conditions infants. These

specialists have the proper equipment to diagnose accurate respiratory conditions. Many children

are being misdiagnosed which leads to incorrect treatment that negatively alters the body. For

instance, children being diagnosed with a respiratory infection are being treated with antibiotics

and unnecessary chest X-rays. Therefore, it’s important for parents to consider the quality of the

physician treating their children. The treatment of asthma can be very costly for families. It’s

important to guide families to appropriate resources such as social work to identify a plan to

maintain proper treatment for the child. Parent and family teaching is also critical in the

diagnosis of asthma. Medical providers can teach common signs and symptoms of asthma and

other respiratory illnesses. This article can also educate medical professionals to understand how
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asthma is overlooked in younger children and it’s vital to achieve the correct diagnosis with the

appropriate care for the child.