Asthma (Respiratory Medicine) Referral Criteria

Who can refer

All internal/external providers.

Patient age

Under 17.5 years at the time of referral

Patient acceptance

Referrals sent to the SickKids Asthma Clinic will be reviewed and rejected if they don't meet our Clinical criteria.

If your patient has another significant respiratory disorder (eg, aspiration lung disease, bronchiectasis) in addition to asthma, please refer them to the General Chest Clinic.

Please consider sending your referral to a community pediatric respirologist or asthma clinic listed under the Community clinical resources for shorter wait times and easier access to care for patients that live in the area.

Clinical criteria

ICU admission for asthma
Ongoing asthma attacks (hospital admission, ED visits, courses of oral steroids), frequent asthma symptoms or abnormal lung function while on standard asthma medication taken daily for at least 3 consecutive months (Children <12yo: daily moderate dose inhaled steroids*; Children >=12yo: daily inhaled steroid + long-acting beta-agonist**) for at least 3 months
Consideration for biologic therapies
Second opinion from asthma community partners

*Children <12yo: Fluticasone propionate (Flovent/Aermony), Ciclesonide (Alvesco), Beclomethasone (QVAR), Mometasone (Asmanex) 200-250ug/day, Mometasone (Pulmicort) 400ug/day

**Children >=12yo: Fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (Advair) or Mometasone/formoterol (Zenhale), Mometasone/indacterol (Atectura) 200-250ug/day, Budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort) 400ug/day

Rejection criteria

Patients who have well-controlled asthma for ongoing followup (unless patient is on biologics for asthma)
Patients who have not been on at least 3 months of daily standard asthma medication (see above clinical criteria)

Notes

Days operational

Monday afternoons
Thursday afternoons