This PedsCases Note provides a one-page infographic on managing acute asthma exacerbations. It reviews PRAM scoring and gives an overview of a management algorithm that can easily be used on the wards. This note was created by Katharine Jensen and Alexander Perry, medical students at the University of Alberta, with help from Dr. Melanie Lewis, a pediatrician at the University of Alberta.

Click on the image below for the full-screen PDF handout.

Related Content

• Podcast: Acute Asthma Exacerbations
• Podcast: Approach to a Child in Respiratory Distress
• Case: Breathing difficulty in a 12 year old boy

References

1. O Ortiz-Alvarez, A Mikrogianakis; Canadian Paediatric Society, Acute Care Committee. (2017). Managing the paediatric patient with an acute asthma exacerbation. Paediatr Child Health, 17(5):251-5.
2. Ducharme, F.M., Chalut, D., Plotnick, L., Savdie, C., Kudirka, D., Zhang, X., Meng, L., & McGillivray, D. (2008). The pediatric respiratory assessment measure: A valid clinical score for assessing acute asthma severity from toddlers to teenagers. Journal of Pediatrics,152(4),476-80.
3. Chalut DS et al. (2000). The Preschool Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM): A responsive index of acute asthma severity. J Pediatr, 137(6):762-8. 
4. MD+CALC. (2020). Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) for Asthma Exacerbation Severity. Retrieved from: https://www.mdcalc.com/pediatric-respiratory-assessment-measure-pram-asthma-exacerbation-severity
5. UpToDate. (2020). Acute asthma exacerbations in children younger than 12 years: Emergency department management. Retrieved from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/acute-asthma-exacerbations-in-children-younger-than-12-years-emergency-department-management?search=PRAM%20asthma&source=search_result&selectedTitle=3~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=3