Asthma Diagnosed in 3 yr old son - advice please

[pluto]

Hi! It's been a long time since I posted but I really hope mumnetters can offer advice or experience. My son was taken to hospital (ambulance job) on Sunday night with acute asthma. After 3 days he's now much better and has an inhaler. While he was in hospital he was given 3 doses of bitter tasting pink steroid medicine - anyone know what this is called and if this medication is significant? He spent 12 hours in the High Dependency Unit and had nebulisers very frequently for the first 24 hours. The consultant has told us that the trigger for his attack is most likely to be a viral infection picked up at the nursery (which he's just started). I would be really interested to hear from other people who have been through a similar experience to enable us to put some kind of a perspective on this, and what we might expect in the future. Thanks

Pluto, sorry to hear about your little lad. Glad to hear he's better. My son suffers from asthma and has had a few scary trips into hospital. The pink medicine was most likely to be Prednisolone, an effective steroid drug to reduce the inflammation/swelling of his airways. You may discover that he is more susceptible to wheezing with subsequent colds,etc. Management of asthma can really vary but your G.P. should be able to advise you. What sort of inhaler were you given on discharge?

Hi Pluto,

We have just been through a similar experience this week with our 4yr old. He spent most of Monday morning coughing and crying, then at luchtime his breathing became quite laboured. An emergency visit to the Doctors followed and he was put on the nebuliser, he then became very poorly (and was sick),and was taken to hospital by ambulance (on oxygen).

He was unable to hold down liquids, so as well as being given medication via nebuliser at regular intervals throughout Monday, he also was on a saline/dextrose drip all night. He was much improved by Tuesday and as well as continuing with medication via nebuliser, he was also commenced on a three day course of Prednisolone. Discharged Wednesday afternoon and reviewed by our own Doctor today (with a further review booked for 2 weeks time). He is almost back to his usual, lively, mischievous self, albeit still looking a bit 'pinched'.

We have been told that it may be the start of Asthma and that the likely trigger was a viral infection. He was discharged on a Ventolin Evohaler for 3 days, and our own GP has suggested we use this morning and night for the next 2 weeks.

The hospital did not commit themselves to an Asthma diagnosis, however, and have advised that we should just see how things develop (eg if he has further episodes of infections, coughs, wheezes etc). Our own Doctor is likewise adopting the wait, observe then decide approach.

Have the hospital stated that it is Asthma? Does your Doctor agree? How do you feel about the diagnosis?

I am glad that, like our son, he is now much better. I trust you are well too, as I am sure, like me, you found the whole experience quite frightening and the stay in hospital with your child (assuming you did) has probably left you feeling tired.

Hope you both have a much better time in the week ahead. Take care.

butterfly

my dd1 had her fist asthma attack at around 9months of age. was persribed just ventolin untill last year when she was having more and more attacks. she now has becotide (at100micrograms) as well. she has also had several courses of Prednisolone, the longest lasting 2 weeks, tho this was actuallt perscribed for her eczema at the time (and she turned into a lovely pink child for the grand total of 2 weeks). it is scary, but it can be controlled (most of the time) if medication is taken correctly. have they given him a spacer as well? because dd1 has been using inhalors since she was young we havent had any of the 'fear' thing that some toddlers get with inhalors. if he does refuse it at all, turn it into a game, give a 'puff' to his favourite toy. (my dd1 po has been wet wrapped, given inhalors and steroids, made for some funny looks when she was carrying po in her buggy when it has bandages on).
we find her asthma is always worse when she has a cold, or if she has been running around too much (she shocked some other mums at toddler world the other week by coming up and asking for her inhalor, she is a dinky 3.5yr old). the cough is a tell tale sign of a bad day coming up. i guess after 3yrs it just become part of my life.

hth

sarah

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All four of my children are asthmatic, with one of them being very severely affected. The Asthma Campaign people have lots of stuff which you might find useful and there may be a local group you can join, too.

Just some tips to help stop another attack.
Buy a steamer and regularly steam beds sofas,and other fabrics or fabric covered materials.
Freeze teddies overnight(kills dust mites)
And have easy cleanable flooring in bedrooms.
My Son has had asthma for 9 yrs almost and I'm asthmatic also.
Doctors put me on cough medicine for 7yrs when I was a child and I thought this was due to lack of understanding.Seriously believed that would be easy with my son when it came to diagnosis as I recognised the signs in him.The doctor argued with me and tried to put him on cough medicine thankfully though my partner and I fought and he called in the asthma nurse who agreed with us.He has been in hospital in the last year as he had an attack after contracting a chest infection. He manages his own asthma and if your child has to stay on inhalers the earlier you can get him to recognise when he needs the medication the better
Good luck

Hello! Thanks for these posts. It's a ventolin inhaler, so he'll be joining the ranks of all the kiddies who carry them around too! He has been using a spacer and had no probs at all with this. The consultant thinks the attack was triggered by a virus picked up at nursery, which he just recently started, rather than an allergy to something. He has been diagnosed with asthma rather than simply a chest infection. We're going to see an asthma nurse next week, do any of you have any suggestions of things I should ask for or about? DS has been much, much better over the weekend and we've not used the inhaler since saturday. Much like dh, I'm sure he'll grow of it!

preventative is better than cure. thats all the advice i can offer u. swimming is a good thing for strengthening lungs (wreaks havoc with my dd1 eczema tho).
make sure u ask for allergy advice from the nurse. warning signs (with my dd1 its the hacking cough b4 she starts wheezing), the nurses are pretty good at discussing things, just if u think of anything in the meantime jot it down, cos i always forget once i am in the consulting room.

Hi, We've been through this stuff this weekend with our 27 month old boy being taken into hospital and diagnosed. He has had chest infections for most of his life and in particular since May. Following one bad infection his febral convulsions continued and was diagnosed as epileptic in June. Chest problems continued on and off until after another course of anti biotics our GP diagnosed Asthma. A week later and he was in hospital. My interest is in his blood oxygen levels. On first being admitted they were around 95% and the doctor told us that below 90% they would be concerned and put him on oxygen. Well later on, after using a nebulizer twice, it had gone down to 85% - the doctor said that he didn't trust the machine and left it at that. I wonder, how low has his blood oxygen level been over this period of time he has been unwell? Could this be the reason that his epilepsy began (he wasn't premature, didn't suffer from lack of oxygen at birth and hasn't has any head injuries), his development has seemed slow in some areas (I'm sure all parents worry about that) for example speech; and is not the most co-ordinated infant. Does anyone know of any research about oxygen levels and how they might be improved?

Sorry I don't know about epilepsy and oxygen levels. Huge sympathy, though, I know about watching the monitor.

My son has allergic asthma and, although he stopped taking it about 6 months ago, it used to be managed by Singulair (used for maintenance, not acute symptoms). He's gotten a lot better and stopped using it, though. It's one of those drugs where if it works, it works and quickly (within a few days). I thought of it as a magic drug... it kept him from having as many attacks and wheezing every night. The thing is, it doesn't work for all kids. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it in the hope that it helps someone out. From what I recall, the paediatric form hadn't been introduced in the UK 3 years ago and I found a lot of doctors didn't know about it. He took the adult form for a year or two? Can't remember, argh.

Sorry to sound like a drug advert... but for us it really made a difference. Again, it doesn't always work (from what I've heard).

My son who is three has a severe egg allergy and suffers badly with asthma, (he was diagnosed at 12 months) I have seen a number of doctors, nurses and peadiatricians and has just been given a new green inhaler, (he has the blue and brown) he has been using the green for about 6 weeks and I have seen no significant change, I have singulair tablets but have not tried them as yet, my sons peadiatrician does not want me to try these yet, has anyone had experience with these? I would like to send him privately, can anyone recommend a very good asthma specialist, I would be most grateful for any help as I am worried sick.