September 17, 2003—According to a national sample of members surveyed from the National Association of School Nurses, asthma is more disruptive of school routines than any other chronic condition, has a significant impact on absenteeism, and many school staff may lack awareness of the causes of an asthma attack.
The association is working with the American Lung Association (ALA) to improve communications between parents, school nurses, and health care professionals in an effort that may help reduce the number of asthma episodes or attacks children experience each year. The organizations say that effective school asthma management includes:
- Keeping children with asthma away from potential triggers, such as mold, dust, chemicals, strong odors, or furry or feathery animals;
- Ensuring children take their medication at regular intervals, as prescribed;
- Guaranteeing ready access to medications in case of an asthma episode; and,
- Allowing children to pre-treat with medications prior to exercise to prevent breathing problems associated with exercise-induced asthma.
ALA offers several educational programs to help manage asthma, including “Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools,” a program designed to assess indoor air quality and provide recommendations for improvement, and “American Lung Association Open Airways for Schools,” a student-focused program proven to decrease the number and duration of children’s asthma episodes.
The complete survey can be found on the ALA Web site.
