Asthma

The Paediatric Respiratory Nurse Specialist (Asthma and Allergy) supports and educates children and families with asthma and allergy by acting as a link between the child’s hospital, school and primary care.

A nurse led Asthma clinic is held every Monday and an Allergy clinic is on Thursday. The aim of the asthma clinic is to enable you to get the maximum benefit from your current asthma treatment so that you can enjoy all of your favourite activities without asthma symptoms getting in the way. The aim of the allergy clinic is to firstly diagnose the allergen and ensure the appropriate management plan is provided for the parent /carer and schools supported.

When you start going to high school we try to see you for your asthma reviews after school hours so that your education is interrupted as little as possible. Adolescent clinics run on the second Thursday of every month and appointments start from 4.00pm. You will find that this clinic is much quieter and the clinic will be focussed on your needs as a maturing individual. Questions will be directed to you and you will be encouraged to take more responsibility for your asthma, to prepare you for managing your asthma needs on your own when you are an adult.

The questions we are likely to be asking are based around you and your asthma control, such as how much of your blue inhaler you require each week, what medications you are currently taking, how you use your inhalers, if you have missed school because of your asthma and how much asthma affects your daily activities. It is really helpful if you can make a note of these things so that you are able to answer the questions accurately when you are in clinic. We will also be taking measurements of your height and lung function.

You will be reviewed in the adolescent asthma clinic until you are about 16 years old and then, depending on the severity of your asthma, you will either be discharged from our care back to your own GP or you will be transferred to the adult respiratory team. If you need to meet the adult respiratory nurse specialist, we can arrange this for you.

Useful links/information

http://www.asthma.org.uk/
http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/
http://www.yellowcross-online.co.uk/
http://www.epipen.co.uk/