Pediatric Asthma Teaching at Denver Health Erin Hoffman Marsha Davis Laura Sawicky Erin Blakeslee

Patient Condition Presentation: ❖ 5 year old male ❖ Difficulty breathing: SOB, tripod position ❖ Previous Hx: ➢ Treatment 6 months ago for a viral respiratory infection ➢ More recent treatment for similar respiratory symptoms. Follow up care was recommended, but family was unable ➢ Respiratory episode once a week since ➢ Father and Grandparents smoke inside the home

Patient Condition Diagnostics: ❖ Chest x-ray ❖ Spirometry ❖ ENT Specialist Results: ❖ This patient’s spirometry results were consistent with a diagnosis of mild persistent asthma

Patient Condition Pathophysiology: ❖ Inflammatory response to allergen or noxious stimuli (smoke) ❖ Provokes: ➢ Bronchospasm ➢ Airway edema ➢ Mucus secretion ❖ Results in: ➢ Airway resistance (requiring forced expiration) ➢ Air trapped in lungs - no new air can get in ➢ Wheezing from bronchospasm

Patient Condition Treatment Modalities: ❖ Allergen Control ➢ Remove environmental triggers and allergens ❖ Drug Therapy ➢ Corticosteroids (oral or inhaled) ➢ Beta-adrenergic agonists (Albuterol)

Existing Teaching Resource ❖ Educational booklet, containing text with few pictures. ❖ Educational DVD for asthma management.

New Teaching Tool

❖ No such thing as a universal technique. ➢ Must be sensitive to the developmental level of each patient. ❖ Child participation in treatment increases compliance. ❖ It takes time and it takes a team! What We Learned