Asthma Mindy Remington Terri Kallal Peace College

What is Asthma? A respiratory disorder in which children or adults have issues wheezing and/or difficulty breathing, tightness in chest and coughing. Usually experience symptoms after exercise, weather change, suffering from an illness, stress, and allergen exposure.

Viral-Induced Asthma Viral-induced asthma mainly effects children, and it is believed that the majority of children will outgrow it if treated properly. Symptoms are typically only present during a viral infection. Usually begins with a cold, or another type of virus.

A child’s perspective

Asthma Attack Shortness of breath. Wheezing/more severe cases of wheezing the child could be retracting (pulling in chest when attempting to breath). Child may complain of tightness in chest or pain in chest. Intense cough that can’t be stopped or controlled (may sometimes cause child to become sick to his/her stomach). A severe attack may have blue fingertips, due to the lack of oxygen in the blood stream.

Treatment Options Inhalers Nebulizer treatments Daily oral medication (Singulair, etc.) Oral steroids Hospitalization – if other treatments are not successful.

Quick relief vs. Long term care Quick relief is used during an attack to reduce symptoms and help clear the airways. Long term care may be a daily medication that is used to help reduce the amount of attacks.

Inhaler treatment

Nebulizer treatment

Oral Medications

Action Plan

Resources Bisgaard, Hans “Persistent Wheezing in Very Young Preschool Children Reflects Lower Respiratory Inflammation.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Vol. 163, pg Courntey, Ursulla A., McCarter, Daniel F., Pollart, Susan M “Childhood Asthma: Treatment Update”. American Family Physician. Vol. 71, Number 10, pg Murray, Clare S., Simpson, Angela, Custovic, Adnan “Allergens, Viruses, and Asthma Exacerbations.” Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society. Vol. 1, pg Rachelefsky, Gary “Treating Exacerbations of Asthma in Children: The Role of Systematic Corticosteroids.” Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Vol. 112, Number 2, pg A special thanks to Daniel Remington for his first-person account of an asthma attack.