In Canada, asthma affects more the 12% of children. Exacerbation are a common feature of asthma. In children, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI's) are responsible for over 80% of asthma exacerbation.
Experts in asthma care acknowledge this critical problem and have developed guidelines to reduce asthma exacerbation.
The criteria for participation in this study to have 2 or more presentations to a Health Service centre in the past 12 months for URTI induced asthma. These patients will be followed and interviewed monthly over a 12 month period to investigate whether the use of Oral cortico-steroids upon early onset of URTI induced asthma prevents the need for presentation to hospital
