RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Prescribing emergency oral steroids in asthma clinics
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 993
OP 995
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316609
VO 105
IS 10
A1 Rhian Willson
A1 Sukeshi Makhecha
A1 Rachel Moore-Crouch
A1 Ian M Balfour-Lynn
YR 2020
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/105/10/993.abstract
AB We retrospectively reviewed children who had been prescribed emergency oral corticosteroids (OCS) in a routine tertiary paediatric respiratory clinic appointment. We subsequently assessed adherence from prescription uptake of inhaled corticosteroids or combination inhalers in the 6 months prior to the episode. In 2 years, 25 children received 32 courses of prednisolone. Median adherence was 33%, but 28% for those with repeated OCS prescriptions. Prescribing acute OCS in a routine clinic is a red flag for potential poor adherence to preventer therapies, and may also indicate the child has poor perception of the severity of their symptoms. An assessment of adherence should be carried out and help given to the child and their family to improve poor adherence when detected.