Pediatric Pulmonology & Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, Sleep and Long-Term Ventilation Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, and Genetic Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Nicola Ullmann
Pediatric Pulmonology & Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, Sleep and Long-Term Ventilation Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, and Genetic Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Annalisa Allegorico
Pediatric Pulmonology & Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, Sleep and Long-Term Ventilation Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, and Genetic Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Antonio Di Marco
Pediatric Pulmonology & Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, Sleep and Long-Term Ventilation Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, and Genetic Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Renato Cutrera
Pediatric Pulmonology & Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, Sleep and Long-Term Ventilation Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, and Genetic Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Asthma is the most frequent chronic inflammatory disease of the lower airways affecting children, and it can still be considered a challenge for pediatricians. Although most asthmatic patients are symptom-free with standard treatments, a small percentage of them suffer from uncontrolled persistent asthma. In these children, a multidisciplinary systematic assessment, including comorbidities, treatment-related issues, environmental exposures, and psychosocial factors is needed. The identification of modifiable factors is important to differentiate children with difficult asthma from those with true severe therapy-resistant asthma. Early intervention on modifiable factors for children with difficult asthma allows for better control of asthma without the need for invasive investigation and further escalation of treatment. Otherwise, addressing a correct diagnosis of true severe therapy-resistant asthma avoids diagnostic and therapeutic delays, allowing patients to benefit from using new and advanced biological therapies.
