Helping children with asthma breathe easier
CARE-UK is a national study for children aged 5 to 11 with asthma. We want to find out whether a combination inhaler works better than usual asthma care.
About the study
Asthma is a condition that can cause breathing difficulties. When asthma flares up, the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs swell, tighten and fill with sticky mucus, so children may cough, wheeze or feel short of breath. Some children need hospital care or miss school because of asthma attacks.
The problem
Many children in the UK still have poorly controlled asthma and frequent attacks, even though good treatments exist.
Why it matters
The usual blue reliever inhaler eases symptoms quickly, but it does not treat the swelling (inflammation) in the airways that leads to attacks.
What we are testing
Whether a combination inhaler, which treats symptoms and inflammation at the same time, works better than usual care for children aged 5 to 11.
The combination inhaler
The inhaler we are testing is called Symbicort®. It is already used by older children and adults, but it is not yet recommended as a reliever for children under 12 in the UK. It contains two medicines in one inhaler:
BudesonideA preventer
A steroid medicine that calms the swelling in the airways, which helps to prevent asthma attacks.
FormoterolA reliever
Opens up the airways quickly to ease symptoms, and keeps working for longer than the usual blue inhaler.
Depending on how much asthma medicine your child takes now, the inhaler is used either just when needed, or every day plus when needed.
We are inviting 1,352 children aged 5 to 11 from all over the UK to take part.
Who can take part?
- Children aged 5 to 11 years
- Who have been diagnosed with asthma
- Who use a reliever inhaler
Register your interest and a member of the research team will contact you to check whether your child can take part. Taking part is completely voluntary, and you can change your mind at any time.
Register your interestWhat taking part involves
Children take part for one year. There are four study visits: two in person and two by phone or video, so you won’t need to travel often.
First visit
We check that the study is right for your child and answer your questions.
Check-in
A quick call to see how your child’s asthma is going.
Check-in
Another call, so you don’t need to come in.
Final visit
At the end of the year, we see how your child has got on.
Support for every family
Personal asthma action plan
Every child in the study receives their own asthma action plan.
A letter for school
If you would like, we can give you a copy of the plan and a letter for your child’s school.
Your usual care continues
We write to your GP or usual asthma nurse or doctor, so your child’s care stays joined up.
Meet the team
CARE-UK is run by doctors, nurses and researchers who care for children with asthma every day, working with hospitals and GP practices across the UK.
Professor Louise Fleming
Consultant respiratory paediatrician, Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College Healthcare.
Karen Danois
Karen coordinates the day-to-day running of the CARE-UK study, working closely with research teams across the UK to support the smooth delivery of the trial.
Tryphena Konala
Tryphena works closely with research teams across the UK to monitor the CARE-UK study, supporting participant safety, data quality and adherence to the study protocol.
Shane Lacbay
Shane is the CARE-UK Trial Nurse. She supports children and families taking part in the study and works with research teams across the UK to help deliver the trial.
The study is supported by a team at the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, including statisticians, data managers and quality assurance staff, and by research teams at 24 hospitals across the UK.
For clinicians
Study design, treatment steps and how to refer a patient.
Interested in taking part?
Fill in a short form and a member of the research team will be in touch. You can also read the participant information sheet first.