Identifying children at high risk of asthma is crucial for initiating early treatment . Screening tools like the modified Asthma Predictive Index (mAPI) are available to identify asthma risk in young children. However, they need invasive tests which can be a limiting factor in many low-resource primary care facilities.
To address this issue, Canadian researchers have developed a symptom-based screening tool called CHILDhood Asthma Risk Tool (CHART) to identify preschool children (age < 3 years) at a high risk of asthma, persistent wheezing, and healthcare burden. They compared the results from CHART with diagnoses performed by pediatricians, and mAPI. CHART identification and classification is based on : Number and timing of cough or wheezing episodes Hospitalization and emergency department visits for wheezing or asthma Use of oral or inhaled corticosteroids and inhaled bronchodilators…
