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A Partnership in Treating Childhood Asthma
include medication needs, activity restrictions or limitations, and method of contacting the parents (Palmer, 2001). At this time the parent or nurse must take it upon themselves to make special arrangements for a school nurse and school faculty to participate in a child’s asthma management program. Research studies supporting a need for a change in school guidelines will aid in convincing the Department of Education to implement a national policy on asthma education and screening in public schools.
Further Research
Nurses in the public school system currently screen all children for vision problems and hearing disorders, but why can’t children be screened in school for asthma and other allergic diseases (Rollins, 2002)?” Further research on this topic could explore the cost-to-benefit ratio of student screening and specialized training requirements in order to implement these much needed screening procedures. Another research topic of interest is identifying whether or not school buildings are a significant source of asthmatic allergens.
In one such study, according to a March 4, 2002, news release from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, removing rugs and carpets from schools could help reduce symptoms of asthma, as well as prevent the development of asthma in children. Researchers in Baltimore performed visual assessments of Baltimore’s public schools in an effort to determine why 10% to 20% of the children in that city have asthma when the national average is 7.5%. In addition, researchers analyzed dust samples for dust mite, cat and dog, cockroach, and mouse allergens. Although each of the allergens were present to some degree in all study locations, schools with rugs or carpets were found to have a higher level of cat and dog, cockroach, and mouse allergens, creating a potentially higher trigger for asthmatic reactions (“Allergens”, 2002). Not all allergens are necessarily bad; in fact, the next study takes a look specifically at a potential benefit of being exposed to dog allergens at an early age.
Even though the family pet may be a significant source of allergens to the asthmatic child, they are more than just an animal; they are a part of the family. One research study gives light to a hope that the family pet may actually decrease the child’s likelihood of acquiring asthma. A prospective study conducted by Ownby, Johnson, and Peterson, designed to examine multiple risk factors for allergic sensitization at 6 to 7 years of age, revealed that exposure to two or more dogs or cats in the first year of life was associated with a significantly lower probability of subsequent allergic sensitization to common aeroallergens. Exposure to two or more dogs or cats was also associated with significantly lower IgE concentration, less methacholine airway responsiveness, and better lung function in boys but not in girls (2002). Further research needs to take place in order to understand why only boys were affected and not girls. Furthermore, it would be interesting to know if these results applied to other animals as well.
Summary and conclusion
Moving from the traditional to an empowering approach represents a paradigm [next page]