Indian Academy of Paediatrics’ new manual to help asthmatic kids in city

Air pollution has triggered medical emergency for asthmatic children. The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) has claimed to have come out with a new manual named Asthma Training Module (ATM)to learn how not be slaves to the incapacitating medical condition and rather be its master. Banking on ATM would come much handy in preempting any asthma emergencies.

Given the diagnostic dilemmas and confusing options in coping up with asthma, ATM promises to provide an effective tool to tackle it. Childhood asthma is one of the most common respiratory illnesses. Childhood Asthma is also one of the most difficult conditions to deal with as guardians do not want their child to be labelled ‘asthmatic.’ The ATM is the flagship tool for disseminating the guidelines and has been one of the most popular and successful program of IAP and Respiratory chapter.

According to Dr Varinder Singh, President of Paediatric Respiratory Society: “It is the longest running (13-years-old) locally developed training programme for the 

management of asthma among Indian children. As the training package is updated every few years in line with the available global evidence and other guidelines, it remains in demand even for re-training by the paediatricians”.

As per IAP, till now, nationally 8,000 and 1,000 Delhi-NCR doctors have been covered in the programme so far benefiting number of parents. No treatment regime is likely to be effective unless it is followed properly, so patient education is central component in current asthma guidelines. We can make the parents aware of the common allergens which may act as triggers in asthmatic 

children and instruct them to observe and find out the specific precipitants in the individual child. Parents/ guardians need to be involved in every step, said an official.