Severe asthma in children An official statement from Saudi Pediatric Pulmonoloy Association

In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of pediatric asthma ranges between 8% and 25%. However, there are no sufficient data regarding severe asthma in childhood in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, a task force has been formed by the Saudi Pediatric Pulmonology Association which is a subsidiary group of the Saudi Thoracic Society and consists of Saudi experts with well-respected academic and clinical backgrounds in the fields of pediatric asthma as well as other respiratory diseases to write a consensus on definitions, phenotypes, and pathophysiology, evaluation, and management. To achieve this, the subject was divided into various sections, each of which was assigned to at least 2 experts. Without a central literature review, the authors searched the literature using their own strategies. To reach an agreement, the entire panel reviewed and voted on proposed findings and recommendations.

Automated summary

This study presents the prevalence of pediatric asthma and the lack of sufficient data on severe asthma in childhood in Saudi Arabia. To address this issue, a task force was formed by the Saudi Pediatric Pulmonology Association to write a consensus on pediatric asthma.