Does Your Child Need an Asthma Specialist?

More than 14 million Americans suffer from asthma – one third of them are children. The disease can be very different from one person to another and from one episode (attack) to another. For some, asthma causes only mild symptoms once in a while. For others, every day can be a struggle to breathe.

When is a referral to a specialist needed for an asthmatic child? Here are a few clues:

• The asthma interferes with an individual’s patient’s quality of life. This could be signaled by loss of sleep, seven or more absences from school, more than one doctor’s visit every two months for asthma treatment, more than one steroid burst per six months, or more than one asthma-related hospitalization per two years.
• A child experiences an asthmatic episode resulting in loss of consciousness, a seizure or respiratory failure.
• A youngster experiences asthma episodes clearly associated with exposure to specific allergens.

When a referral is made to The Asthma & Pulmonary Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, the clinical staff will contact the referring physician following an initial visit with the patient/parents to discuss the evaluation and treatment plan. The referring physician will also be contacted after subsequent visits to collaborate on a long-term treatment plan.

The Asthma & Pulmonary Center
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
6410 Fannin, Suite 500
Houston, Texas 77030
713-704-6516