Article: Your asthma action plan should clearly indicate when you should encourage a child to use their rescue albuterol inhaler. Whether your system uses a symptoms-severity scale or a minimum peak flow reading, know the symptoms of a full-blown attack in your child and treat it using the correct short-term medications. You can determine what caused the attack later. if the child appears to have significant trouble breathing or persistent coughing or wheezing. This can indicate an asthma emergency, which can be life-threatening. Signs that a child is having a very difficult time breathing include:  Having trouble speaking without gasping Using abdominal muscles to breathe Having flared nostrils while inhaling Leaning forward in a sitting position to breathe Breathing in so hard the stomach is sucked in beneath the ribs (especially in children under age 5)  Breathing faster than usual Your asthma action plan should indicate what level of peak flow reading indicates an asthma emergency. Anything in the red zone should prompt you to call your doctor or visit the ER. If this is accompanied by serious symptoms, you may want to call emergency services. While waiting to receive emergency care, follow your asthma action plan until you are able to get medical attention. For example, if you visit the ER, do whatever rescue procedures are listed on your plan during the drive there and while you wait to see a doctor. If the child uses their rescue inhaler and symptoms don’t improve, it’s probably an asthma emergency. Call for help or go find assistance immediately. Having an asthma attack or emergency can be frightening for a child, and anxiety can only make matters worse. While waiting for rescue meds to work or emergency services to arrive, try to keep the child calm. Remain calm yourself so as not to frighten the child further. Talk to them calmly, help them into a sitting position, inform them that help is on the way, and reinforce that everything will be okay. If the child is panicking, help them use their inhaler. Most children who carry an inhaler should also carry an instruction card directing how to use it.

What is a summary?
Use your action plan to recognize when to use rescue medications. Get emergency help Seek immediate medical attention if the peak flow meter reading is in the red zone. Get help immediately if their rescue inhaler doesn’t improve symptoms. Try to calm and comfort the child.