Abstract
In 2011, we conducted a survey of the treatment of childhood asthma in clinics and hospitals in Nara prefecture, using the same case-study questionnaire that we used in our 2005 and 2007 studies. The survey was conducted from June 1st to July 31st, 2011, and 86 doctors completed the questionnaire. In this survey, 22% of the doctors were members of the Japanese Society of Allergology, 26% were members of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 67% were members of the Japan Pediatric Society, and 22% were members of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. In this case study, model case 1 was infantile atopic asthma with 3 episodes of wheezing during the past 3 months. In this case, the most selected medication for long-term medication was a leukotriene antagonist (74%) and the second was anti-allergic drugs (26%). The regular use of beta2-agonist combined with inhaled disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) was selected by 6% of the doctors in 2011, which was less than in 2005 (40%). Model case 2 was atopic asthma in childhood treated with theophylline and an antihistamine, which had more than one episode of wheezing during the past month. In this case, the most selected medication for long-term medication was inhaled corticosteroids (64%) and the second was leukotriene antagonist (57%), which was increased significantly from the survey in 2007. The regular use of beta2-agonist combined with inhaled DSCG was selected by 22% of the doctors in 2011, which was less than in 2007 (63%). Comparison of the medications used with the 2 model cases in 2011, 2007 and 2005, showed the use of beta2-agonist in combination with inhaled DSCG was decreased and the use of leukotriene antagonist was increased.
