Majority of Children with Pediatric Asthma Meet Diagnostic Guidelines

Recent research indicates that approximately 60% of children diagnosed with asthma by pediatricians have a confirmed diagnosis aligned with international guideline criteria, which necessitate two or more positive objective tests. The study, published online on August 8, 2025, in Pediatric Pulmonology, involved analyzing real-life data from 115 children aged 5 to 17 over a five-year follow-up period.

Led by Marie Hauerslev from the University of Copenhagen, the study examined how implementing strict diagnostic criteria affects disease assessment and management. The findings revealed that 63% of these children exhibited a guideline-confirmed diagnosis within a two-year diagnostic window. Notably, children with confirmed diagnoses showed greater improvements in lung function, measured as an increase in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) percent-predicted annually (β-coefficient: 5.4 versus 3.7 in children without a confirmed diagnosis). Conversely, those with confirmed diagnoses faced significantly higher risks of acute asthma episodes, hospitalizations, and required oral corticosteroids—incident rate ratio was 4.7, with 10 hospitalizations versus one in those without confirmation, and an odds ratio of 6.0 for corticosteroid use.

The authors emphasized the importance of objective testing in pediatric asthma diagnosis. Despite this, they also noted that children with fewer positive tests still experienced lung function improvements and acute events, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive diagnostic approaches. These findings underscore that accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and monitoring of pediatric asthma.

This study emphasizes the vital role of objective tests in diagnosing asthma in children and suggests that a combination of clinical assessment and diagnostic tests can lead to better disease management and improved outcomes.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-children-asthma-guideline-diagnostic-criteria.html