Peartree Medical CentreSometimes diagnosing asthma in children can be problematical when symptoms from other causes can be very similar eg chronic cough, bronchitis. A misleading diagnosis can lead to delayed or inappropriate treatment. This is particularly unhelpful for children during the colder winter months when symptoms may be exacerbated.
Following partnership work with other surgeries, we now have access to some FENO equipment and will be booking specific clinics to test and diagnose patients in the middle two weeks of October. This will focus on children but will also include adults where appropriate. A specific clinic has been arranged for 17th October 2019.
During inflammation of the airways, higher-than-normal levels of nitric oxide (NO) are released from the bronchial wall. The concentration of NO in exhaled breath, or fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), can help identify airway inflammation, and thereby support a diagnosis of asthma when other objective evidence is lacking.
We hope that this will reduce the incidence of children having to seek emergency treatment and reduce the occasions when parents have to witness their children struggling for breath.