Asthma Attack Treatment for Children

Call 911 if the child is:

• Having a hard time breathing
• Constantly coughing
• Unable to talk, eat, or play
• Vomiting
• Turning blue in the lips or fingers
• Convulsing while breathing (using stomach muscles excessively to breathe)

If he does not have the above symptoms but is still complaining of trouble breathing or coughing, do the following:

1. Notify the Child’s Health Care Provider Immediately

2. Follow the Child’s Asthma Plan, if Possible

• Find out if the child has an individualized asthma action plan from a health care provider.
• If so, follow directions for giving asthma medication and seeking medical help for acute asthma attack.
• Bring a copy of the child’s asthma action plan to show the ER staff.

3. Give Quick-Relief Medicine
If the child has no asthma action plan but has an inhaler:

• Sit child upright comfortably and loosen tight clothing.
• Give one puff of quick-relief medicine from child's inhaler, always with a spacer.
• Ask child to take four breaths from spacer.
• Give three more puffs, with four breaths between each.
• Wait four minutes. If there’s no improvement, give another four puffs.
• If the child doesn’t have an inhaler, use one from a first aid kit. If you are sure this is an asthma attack and the child has used quick-relief asthma medicine before (albuterol), you can borrow someone else’s.

Follow Up

• An emergency room doctor will check the severity of the attack and provide treatment, including medication.
• The child may be discharged home or hospitalized for further care, depending on response to treatment.

SOURCES:

KidsHealth: “When to Go to the ER if Your Child Has Asthma.”

St. Louis Children’s Hospital: “Asthma Can Be Controlled.”

DC Asthma Action Plan.

National Asthma Council Australia: “First Aid for Asthma.”

Handal, K. The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook, Little, Brown and Company, 1992.

Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement: “Emergency and Inpatient Management of Asthma Emergency Room Management.”

eMedicineHealth: “Asthma in Children.”