People who suffer from asthma quite literally have to struggle to take each and every breath. Asthma is a disease of airway inflammation that can be potentially life-threatening. It can cause the airways of the lungs to narrow (constrict) or become inflamed (swell up) or both, making it incredibly difficult to breathe – this is known as an asthma attack. The main treatment is by the inhalation of steroids which reduces the inflammation. However, treatment with steroids can have adverse side effects and so doctors need to balance the side effects with benefits of using steroids. Facts: o 1 in 5 households in the UK has a person who has asthma o It is the third leading cause of hospitalisation for those under the age of 15 o Asthma is the most common chronic illness affecting children worldwide o 5.2 million people in the UK are currently being treated for asthma. Approximately one-fifth (1.1 million) of these are children o Approximately 50 children per annum can still die from asthma Doctors are not really sure of the main cause of asthma - it is considered a syndrome (made up of a combination of several clinically recognisable symptoms) which can be bought on by a combination of triggers that irritate the airways of a person with asthma. o You’re more likely to develop asthma if there is a family history of asthma, eczema or allergies o 10% of children seen in hospital often also have a peanut allergy o Certain environmental factors, housing, diet can all bring on an asthma attack. Research • Children with asthma have been found to have higher levels of exhaled nitric oxide levels • As the asthma gets worse, exhaled nitric oxide levels increase, this correlates with an increase in lung inflammation • Steroids have been found to reduce exhaled nitric oxide levels in asthma but steroids can have adverse side effects • Exhaled nitric oxide levels can be used as a non-invasive marker of airway inflammation Using a quick and simple child friendly breath-test to monitor exhaled nitric oxide levels (the child is asked to blow into one end of a hand held device for 10 seconds and ~ 100 seconds later the device provides an exhaled nitric oxide level reading), researchers will investigate the possibility of tailoring the inhaled steroidal dosage such that the smallest dose is given to treat/control asthma and lead to reductions in the no. of exacerbations that each patient has. The overall aim is to develop a detection method that will allow doctors to ensure that the smallest dose of inhaled steroid possible is administered in order to prevent further asthma attacks. Project details Title: Can monitoring exhaled nitric oxide levels in outpatients improve the management of children with asthma? Dr Graham Roberts (he appears in the OAS Ball video 2006). Clinical Senior Lecturer/Consultant Paediatrician in Paediatric Allergy and Respiratory Medicine- specialising in rare types of respiratory disorders Project start date: September 2006 – August 2008 £95,833 over two years at Southampton University Hospital