Assess
Sit
Treat
Help
Monitor
All OK
Assess
Mild | Moderate | Severe |
Mild symptoms indicating that asthma is worsening can include: A slight wheeze Mild cough Coughing or wheezing when excited or running | Moderate symptoms indicating that asthma is worrying can include: Obvious breathing difficulties Persistent cough Difficulty speaking a complete sentence | Severe symptoms indicating an asthma emergency can include: Fear Gasping for breath Difficulty speaking more than one or two words Looking pale and sounding quiet Complaining that the reliever medicine is not working Unresponsive – doesn’t answer when spoke to
DIAL 111 for an ambulance. |
Sit
Sit your child upright and stay with them. Lean them forward slightly and support their arms either on their knees or on a table.
Treat
Treat mild asthma symptoms with two puffs of a reliever inhaler. Treat moderate or severe symptoms with six puffs of the inhaler. If the reliever medicine comes in a metered dose inhaler, use a spacer. Put the spacer into the child’s mouth. Puff the inhaler once into the spacer and have the child breathe in and out six times.
Encourage your child to breathe as normally as possible.
Help
If your child’s asthma does not start to get better after six minutes, or if you or your child are frightened, call an ambulance. Continue giving your child six puffs of their reliever inhaler every six minutes until help arrives. Make sure they take six slow breathes for each puff. Keep doing this until they get better, or the ambulance arrives.
Remember: Six puffs … six breaths for each puff … and repeat every six minutes
Monitor
Stay with your child and watch carefully, even if they seem to get better. If your child is not finding it easier to breathe, give repeat doses of the reliever inhaler and call an ambulance.
All OK
Your child can return to quiet activities when they no longer wheeze, cough or feel breathless. Keep monitoring their symptoms and take action if required, following the steps in their action plan. If your child’s attacks are becoming more frequent or worrying, see your doctor as soon as possible.
You can find ‘What should I do in an emergency’ on pages 23 and 24 of our Managing Your Asthma booklet. (You may like to cut this page out of the booklet and put it somewhere you can easily find it, such as on the fridge).
