Asthma diagnosis and long-term control — structured clinical encounter

Station brief (candidate)

You are the paediatric registrar in a general clinic. A 6-year-old girl is referred with an 18-month history of recurrent dry cough and wheeze, worse at night and when she runs, that improves within minutes of using a friend's blue salbutamol inhaler. She has eczema, and her mother has asthma. She is thriving on the 50th weight centile, has never had a productive cough, and her chest is clear today. The team asks you to establish the diagnosis, classify the level of control, build the long-term plan, and counsel the family. You have 12 minutes with the family and 5 minutes for examiner discussion. ^[5]