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Western Australia has joined a major international study that could significantly change the treatment of asthma in children.
In partnership with Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service and the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service, we aim to improve Aboriginal lung health by determining for the first time the baseline lung function of Aboriginal Australians.
Healthy lungs help you to breathe better. This means you can sleep better, as well as play sports, run and walk without being short winded.
Large numbers of children need emergency medical treatment each year for respiratory illnesses, particularly for wheezing and asthma.
Wheezing and asthma exacerbations are leading causes of pediatric hospital admissions. Predicting which children will experience persistent exacerbations remains challenging. Prior research has identified immune endotypes in the nasal epithelium of children with acute asthma and wheezing, characterized by varying balances of interferons and inflammatory markers. Notably, children exhibiting low interferon responses coupled with high inflammation are at an increased risk for recurrent respiratory exacerbations.
To develop consensus on the priorities for multi-centre, inpatient general paediatrics research in Australia and New Zealand.
Rhinoviruses (RV) are the most common respiratory viruses globally and a major cause of airway symptoms in children and individuals with asthma. Although more than 170 RV types exist across 3 species (RV-A, RV-B, RV-C), type-specific circulation patterns and age-related prevalence remain poorly defined.
Asthma remission has emerged as a potential therapeutic goal. However, definitions of remission have primarily focused on adult populations, with limited consensus on how remission should be defined in children.
Citation: Evans DJ, D Sly PD, Foster P, Donovan C. Who gets asthma, and why? Med J Aust. 2025;223(S10):S19-S23. Keywords: Asthma; Lung diseases;
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are often perceived to be a less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Potentially due to this perception, they are used by people with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma, who otherwise would not smoke. Despite this, there are few studies exploring the health effects of e-cigarette use on pre-existing asthma.