Written Action Plans for Children with Asthma

Symptom-based plans lowered risk for acute care and peak-flow–based plans reduced the number of symptomatic days, but most outcomes were similar.

Written action plans are recommended by virtually every asthma guideline that has been produced by professional societies and government agencies, including the NIH. However, no consensus exists about whether plans based on symptoms are better than those based on peak-flow levels. Canadian investigators conducted a meta-analysis of four randomized clinical trials (involving 355 school-aged children) that compared symptom-based action plans with peak-flow–based action plans. Other asthma interventions were similar in both groups, and follow-up ranged from 3 to 12 months.

Compared with peak-flow–based plans, symptom-based plans significantly lowered (by 27%) risk for unscheduled acute care visits (the primary outcome). Compared with symptom-ba…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Written Action Plans for Children with Asthma

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Reviewing Author