Recurrent wheeze in preschool children — structured clinical encounter

Station brief (candidate)

You are the paediatric registrar in the general clinic. A 3-year-old girl has been referred after her fifth episode of cough and wheeze this year, each starting with a cold and settling in a few days, with the child completely well between episodes. She has mild eczema, is growing normally, and her mother smokes. The team asks you to establish the phenotype, apply the Asthma Predictive Index, exclude the important mimics, decide on preventive treatment, and counsel the family. You have 12 minutes with the family and 5 minutes for examiner discussion. ^{[2] [3]}