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Pulmonary
One-Hour Concurrent Session

Pediatric Critical Asthma: Clinical Practice Guidelines

Sunday, February 23, 2025
11:45am – 12:45pm Eastern Time
Location: W311E
CE: 1

In the United States, one out of 14 children (< age 18) has asthma, leading to about 750,000 emergency department (ED) visits and 74,000 hospital admissions and costing nearly $6 billion yearly. If initial therapy for a severe exacerbation fails, physicians are left with an array of pharmaceutical and respiratory options with limited evidence-based guidance, leading to high practice variability. The lack of clear standards for escalating asthma therapies complicates already challenging scenarios. The respiratory distress of severe asthma exacerbations often precludes methodical decision-making. Multiple guidelines include those developed by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and Global Initiative for Asthma, which focus on ED management, with limited guidance for hospitalized children with severe asthma exacerbation; clinicians must derive best practices from institutional protocols and narrative reviews. Evidence-based guidelines for pediatric critical asthma are needed. Speakers will discuss the American Association for Respiratory Care/Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators pediatric critical asthma guidelines; a definition of pediatric critical asthma; and guidance for pharmacologic, respiratory, and systems management.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explore the pediatric critical asthma guidelines development process and the definition of pediatric critical asthma
  • Identify initial management on presentation of pediatric critical asthma
  • Compare adjunct pharmacologic therapies available for pediatric critical asthma, such as IV magnesium, aminophylline, and IV beta-agonists
  • Compare respiratory support therapies available to treat pediatric critical asthma and the utility of protocols, especially respiratory therapy-driven therapies, in managing patients with pediatric critical asthma

Presentations:

  • 11:50am – 12:00pm Eastern Time
    Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pediatric Critical Asthma

    Ben White, MD – University of Utah Health

  • 12:00pm – 12:10pm Eastern Time
    Pharmacologic Management of Pediatric Critical Asthma

    Sana J. Said, PharmD – Comer Children's Hospital

  • 12:10pm – 12:20pm Eastern Time
    Initial Presentation and Management of Pediatric Critical Asthma

    Christopher L. Carroll, MD, MS, FCCM (he/him/his) – University of Florida College of Medicine

  • 12:20pm – 12:30pm Eastern Time
    Nonpharmacologic Management of Pediatric Critical Asthma

    Danielle Maue, MD (she/her/hers) – Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center