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Asthma

We provide tertiary level consultation services to diagnose and manage asthma in children. During these visits we also provide asthma education to families and patients to help them better manage their asthma.
About

About asthma

The Asthma Program at BC Children's Hospital consists of two clinics:

  • Asthma Clinic
  • Severe Asthma Clinic

Please note that there is no longer an Asthma Education Clinic at BC Children's as our asthma educators are now working in conjunction with our nurse practitioners and physicians in the Asthma Centre.

To find your closest education clinic please check the BC Lung Foundation website or Pathways.

Asthma Clinic

The Asthma Clinic is a collaborative consultation clinic involving nurse practitioners, pediatricians and asthma educators and it helps to diagnose asthma and manage uncontrolled asthma symptoms.

This clinic does not have the capacity to see all children with asthma. ONLY children who meet the referral criteria below will be seen.  

Referral criteria:

  1. Poor asthma control or persistent exacerbations despite regular daily moderate inhaled corticosteroids or
  2. Children with an unclear asthma diagnosis despite guideline-based workup (eg. spirometry in children 6 years of age or older, a trial of treatment in children under 6 years of age)

Children who do not meet these criteria can be referred to a pediatrician or a local Asthma Clinic or pulmonary function lab  for asthma education, pulmonary function testing and assessment.  Please see Pathways for pediatricians, asthma education clinics or pulmonary function labs in your area.

The Asthma Clinic is a consultation clinic that does not provide ongoing follow up for children with asthma.  The average number of visits with the Asthma Clinic is 1-2 visits after which time most patients will be discharged back to the care of your regular doctor to continue managing your asthma.  The goal is to not have any asthma symptoms or asthma attacks. To achieve this goal you will be given an asthma action plan, asthma education, the correct medication device and asthma medications.

Severe Asthma Clinic

The Severe Asthma Clinic is for children who have uncontrolled asthma despite being on moderate to high doses of multiple asthma medications. Children are seen in this clinic after being assessed in the Asthma Clinic and are managed by a pediatric respirologist and allergist. The Severe Asthma Clinic provides long term management for patients with difficult to control asthma.

Reschedule/No show Policy:

  • We require at least 72 hours notice for rescheduling and will only reschedule once before a new referral is required

Please call 604-875-3042 or email asthma@cw.bc.ca to notify us of a cancellation.

Prepare

Once we receive the referral from your doctor, our clinic will contact you for an appointment. 

Your first visit will be 1.5 to 2 hours long (longer if lung function testing is done) as you will be meeting with a practitioner and an asthma educator. Allergy testing for environmental allergens may also be done at this visit if needed. We suggest you allow for at least two hours for parking.

Follow up visits will be 1 hour long and will typically include lung function testing if your child is over 6 years of age.

Location

Appointments in the Asthma Program take place in the main Children's Hospital building in the Respirology Clinic area.


Your visit to the Asthma Clinic may include:

Pulmonary Function Test (standard for children 6 years and up at each visit).

  • Watch this video if you would like to see a child doing pulmonary function testing.
  • Please DO NOT TAKE your rescue/ bronchodilator medicine (e.g. Bricanyl or Ventolin) for 4 hours before the appointment. This inhaler is usually blue. No combination medications (eg. Advair/purple, Symbicort/red & white, Zenhale/blue with green lid) for a minimum of 24 hours before the appointment as they interfere with the testing unless you are told otherwise by your doctor.

Allergy skin testing (will be done if needed based on patient's triggers)

  • Please DO NOT TAKE antihistamines Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or Gravol (dimenhydrinate) for 3 days prior to the appointment and other antihistamines such as Aerius (desloratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine) or Reactine (cetirizine) as they interfere with the skin test.
Asthma education
  • You can watch this Asthma video for more information about asthma and how it is managed

For every appointment please bring the following:

  1. Patient and their Health Care Card
  2. Completed Preparing For My Asthma Appointment worksheet (PDF) (for new visits) or the My Follow-Up Asthma Appointment worksheet (PDF) (for follow-up appointments)
  3. ALL of your child's asthma medications and devices (eg. Spacer, AeroChamber)
  4. Asthma symptom diary or journal (PDF) (if you have one)
  5. Your child's asthma action plan (if you have one)

Reschedule/No show Policy:

  • We require at least 72 hours notice for rescheduling and will only reschedule once before a new referral is required
Who we are

Physicians

 

Dr. Connie Yang, MSc, MD
Pediatric Respirologist, Clinic Director


Dr. Sharon Dell, MSc, MD
Pediatric Respirologist


Dr. Tiffany Wong, MD
Pediatric Allergist & Immunologist

Dr. Claire Seaton, MD

Pediatrician


Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners (NP) are Masters level prepared advanced practice nurses. They are healthcare professionals with clinical expertise to assess, diagnose and manage asthma.  They can order tests and prescribe medications. Nurse practitioners at the asthma clinic work collaboratively with the healthcare team to improve the health and wellbeing of children and youth with asthma. 
          
Dr. Minna Miller, DNP, NP(F)              


Certified asthma educators

Certified Asthma Educators are Registered Nurses with special education in asthma management.  They teach families about asthma, preventative measures, how to avoid triggers, the proper use of medications, appropriate medications and devices, lifestyle counseling, how and when to respond to an asthma flare up, and the use of written action plans that allow adjustment of medications when symptoms worsen. 

Ingrid Baerg, RN, BSN, CAE

Johnna Clarkson, RN

Administrative Staff


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