氣喘兒童之症狀評估與處置

Symptom Assessment and Management in Children with Asthma

氣喘是全球性盛行率與花費最高的兒童慢性健康問題，其不定期發作與惡化的疾病壓力影響到氣喘兒童生命的安危及全家人的生活品質。兒童之自我照護能力常因其發展特性而受限，因此其健康照護常賴於其他照顧者來達成。本文將介紹兒童氣喘所造成之衝擊與影響、氣喘兒童之診療指引與照護模式、氣喘兒童之症狀評估與症狀自我處置，以期協助醫療團隊成員以及病童、家屬藉由簡易之自我監測系統及時進行評估疾病之嚴重度，並藉由適當自我處置以避免氣喘惡化，以改善病童與家人之生活品質。

Asthma is the most prevalent and costly chronic childhood disease worldwide, unexpected flare-ups and exacerbation of which threaten the safety and quality of life of children and their families. As the capacity for self-management among children is limited by their developmental level, much of the weight of asthma management falls on the shoulders of caregivers. This article outlines the impact of asthma, and guidelines for diagnosis and management of asthma, and symptom self-monitoring and management in children. It is aimed at facilitating self-monitoring to improve assessments of the severity of the condition in order to prevent deterioration and improve the quality of life of children and their families.