Asthma Emergency
Parents and carers of a child with asthma should be aware that it is not uncommon for an acute attack to develop into a medical emergency. Recent research in the United Kingdom showed that one in five children who had asthma diagnosed by their doctor had to be hospitalized at some point. A serious deterioration in your child’s condition is a frightening experience for you and your child and it is essential that you recognize when it is time to call for help.
So, what should you look out for? Long before a situation develops, it is vital that you know what the signs of deterioration are and how to react to them. If your child’s symptoms are not improving and she is exhausted by the very effort of breathing, she should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. Her breathing will become very rapid.
As it becomes increasingly labored the whole of her upper body will appear to be involved in the struggle. The space between her ribs, the bottom of the ribcage and the area above her collarbone will all appear to be sucked in with every breath she takes. The wheezing may have become less obvious but this may be more a sign of fatigue than improvement in her condition.
Though it is less noisy, it can be an indication that her breathing is becoming shallower and this means she is taking less oxygen into her bloodstream. She may become unable to speak sentences and may also have chest pains.