Asthma Center

At CHOC Asthma Center, we specialize in managing childhood asthma. Uncontrolled asthma can interrupt a child’s normal life, such as missing school and activities. But, proper coordination between your family, pediatrician and school can change those circumstances. With asthma management, kids don’t have to miss school, can take part in sports and visit the hospital less.

At the CHOC Asthma Center, we provide multidisciplinary support for asthma, all coordinated at one location, including inpatient and outpatient management for children with asthma, and certified asthma education to help families manage and control symptoms. The CHOC Asthma Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Pediatric Asthma Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards.
Our Asthma Center team consists of:

• Board-certified pediatric pulmonologists
• Nurse practitioners
• Respiratory therapists to teach inhalation techniques
• Certified asthma educators (registered nurses or respiratory therapists) to help minimize asthma episodes
• Care coordinators

High Risk Asthma Clinic

Children hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for asthma or have difficulty controlling asthma even with medication are candidates for more intensive treatment at the CHOC High Risk Asthma Clinic.

The High Risk Clinic includes:

• A pulmonologist, respiratory therapist and certified asthma educator at all appointments
• Intensive education to understand the causes and treatment of asthma
• A detailed action plan for both home and school by a certified asthma educator (a nurse or respiratory therapist with asthma support certification)
• Convenient evening appointments, so that more school-days aren’t missed

Advanced Diagnostic Testing

Our Asthma Center has state-of-art diagnostic equipment and technology to offer the highest quality of care including:

• Spirometry which measures the air capacity when inhaled and exhaled
• Full pulmonary function testing for measuring lung volumes and looks for hyperinflation or restriction on lung volumes
• Impulse Oscillatory Spirometry (IOS) measures airway resistance especially in preschool children
• Exercise challenge testing assesses if exercise symptoms are due to asthma
• Exhaled nitric oxide measures allergic airway inflammation
• Allergy testing by specific IgE blood testing
• Bronchoscopy testing to look into the airways with a scope and camera