Managing childhood asthma: clinical experience with the measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO)

Asthma is a common and potentially serious problem in infants, children and young people, having a significant impact on their physical and emotional wellbeing. While asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting children and preventative and relieving medication is available, the condition still continues to place an enormous burden on sufferers' quality of life and severe asthma attacks may be life-threatening. Problems also persist in prescribing unnecessary inhaled corticosteroids and in treatment adherence. In addition to standard spirometry (lung function testing), new biomarkers of asthma are helping to clarify phenotypes and provide important insights in many children. This review explores the use of one of these markers, the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), for the assessment, diagnosis and management of asthma in children and adolescents.