Abstract

PARENTAL COMPLIANCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN CHILDREN

Anna Todorova*, Antoaneta Tsvetkova and Milen Dimitrov

ABSTRACT

Modern treatment of bronchial asthma is focused on achieving and maintaining asthma control. Unfortunately, asthma is quite often poorly managed. Our survey’s objective was to analyse the collaboration of parents as the participants who are primarily responsible for day-to-day adherence to asthma treatment regimen. The questionnaire-based study was carried out among parents of paediatric patients with asthma divided in two age groups: 6-12 years and 13-16 years. The survey findings indicated poor parental compliance caused by parents’ misunderstanding of the therapeutic goals and their fear of drug-related side effects. Achieving optimal management of paediatric asthma necessitates additional training of parents to share the responsibility for the therapeutic outcome with their children, with the medical specialists, and with the pharmacists involved in the treatment.

Keywords: bronchial asthma, children, compliance, parents, treatment.