[Important aspects in pediatric care of children and adolescents with chronic disease using the example of bronchial asthma].

When treating children or adolescents with chronic disease one should take the specific age-related features of the course of disease, differential diagnosis, and the psychosocial environment, as well as the avoidance of complications and side effects of therapy into account. These may impair the patient's physical and psychosocial development and quality of life in the context of family, school and occupational life. Continued care of growing children from the start of the disease when they are infants to the point when they assume personal responsibility as adults is one of the major concerns of the pediatrician. This concept requires interdisciplinary cooperation and a large body of personnel which would include training programs, inclusion of family members and in some cases psychosomatic therapy. Given the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in this age group and their sociopolitical significance it is important to activate preventive potentials in terms of content and structure - by quality assurance - especially to avoid long-term complications. Various care structures are used in Europe to achieve this goal. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children and adolescents. It influences quality of life as well as the child's personal, educational and occupational development to a significant extent. The special aspects of the treatment of these patients will be addressed to illustrate the therapy of chronic disease.
(© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)