Protocol for a systematic review to identify and weight the indicators of risk of asthma exacerbations in children aged 5–12 years

Asthma is the commonest long-term condition in children, affecting an estimated five million schoolchildren in Europe.1 The condition is responsible for substantial morbidity with 11% of children in the United Kingdom describing recurrent episodes of wheeze,2 and resulting in days lost from school and time lost from work for their parents/carers.3 Although in the United Kingdom, most school-age children with asthma are managed in primary care, each year there are in excess of 25,000 hospital admissions for children under the age of 14 years.4 Of the 195 asthma deaths investigated by the National Review of Asthma Deaths, 10 were in children under the age of 10 years.