It’s estimated that 15% of children and teens in the state of California have asthma. The chronic health condition is also one of the leading causes of pediatric hospitalization and absence from school. South Counties Pediatric Critical Care Medical Group is a critical care pediatric practice that provides skilled inpatient care for children and teens with asthma throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. To learn more about the inpatient services for asthma, request an appointment at the office in Fountain Valley, California, by phone today.
Asthma is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the lungs. When inflamed, the airways in the lungs swell, which causes shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing.
Asthma can occur at any age but often appears during childhood. Your child may be at risk of developing the chronic disease if it runs in your family, or there’s a family history of allergies, such as atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis.
Researchers are still investigating the exact cause of asthma, but theorize it may develop from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, your child’s asthma symptoms may have specific triggers, such as:
Treatment for your child’s asthma focuses on preventing asthma attacks by identifying and minimizing your child’s exposure to asthma triggers. Treatment also includes the use of long-term medications to decrease lung inflammation, as well as short-term medication to alleviate symptoms during an asthma attack.
Asthma attacks are scary for both you and your child. To help you manage all aspects of your child’s asthma, your child’s primary care physician provides an asthma action plan, which includes a list of symptoms that require emergency medical care.
In general, you should seek emergency medical care for your child’s asthma:
To provide your child with the emergency care they need while you’re on the way to the emergency room, the team at South Counties Pediatric Critical Care Medical Group offers 24-hour critical transport with a team led by a pediatric intensivist.
Once in the emergency room, your child receives the urgent medical care they need, and the emergency room physicians determine whether your child needs to be admitted.
The team at South Counties Pediatric Critical Care Medical Group includes physicians who specialize in pediatric pulmonary medicine. During your child’s inpatient hospital stay, you can expect the team to visit your child daily and manage all aspects of their inpatient care.
The team also stays in constant communication with your child’s primary care physician. Once your child is stable, the team develops a discharge plan that includes follow-up visits with your child’s doctor.
To learn more about inpatient hospital care for your child’s asthma, contact South Counties Pediatric Critical Care Medical Group by calling the office today.