Asthma Emergencies Expected to Spike As Students Return To School

Like clockwork, asthma attacks and hospitalizations among children returning to school peak 18 days after Labor Day but parents are largely unprepared for the respiratory assault, says a new survey from the American Lung Association.

A recent Canadian study published in the Journal of Asthma and Clinical Immunology confirmed what many school administers see yearly: back-to-school asthma is an annual predictable phenomenon triggered by students returning to school with viral infections.

But an American Lung Association survey reveals that while asthma emergencies are predictable, parents of children with asthma are not taking basic steps to manage their child’s asthma.

• less than half (48%) of parents have talked to the teacher about their child’s asthma
• fewer than half (42%) have made sure their child’s medication is available at school
• less than one third (31%) have their child under medical supervision


More than 120,000 children in the Chicago area suffer from the potentially life-threatening disease, which is a major cause of hospitalizations in children under 15. An estimated 500,000 student days are lost in the Chicago Public School System as a result of asthma.

“Back-to-school asthma is an annual occurrence, so being prepared should be at the top of every parent’s list,” said Maureen Damitz, Director of Community Education at the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. “Parents can avoid an unmanageable medical crisis at school by having a fast-acting medication on hand and communicating with the child’s teachers.”

Damitz also recommends that parents — in consultation with their physician — develop a written Asthma Action Plan for their child. “An Asthma Action Plan tells everyone what to do in an emergency. It should identify a child’s specific asthma triggers, medications and instructions regarding physical activity, like using an inhaler before strenuous exercise for some children.

She also reminds parents that Illinois students now have the right to carry and self administer their own rescue inhalers as well as their own epi-pen device which allows them to stave off severe reaction to food or insect allergies. “Enough resources are available to ensure every child with asthma enjoys a healthy school year.”


What can parents do to be prepared?

Parents can manage their child’s asthma by:
• being up-to-date on regular doctor’s visits
• having prescriptions updated and filled for the first day of school,
• have the appropriate self medication forms signed and on file at your child’s school
• send the child to school with two fast-acting inhalers, one to carry and one to leave in the office as a back up
• schedule a flu shot now for your child to be immunized in October
• completing a 504 plan with the school that communicates your child’s health needs to all appropriate staff.


To get further involved, parents can:

• Encourage your child’s school to reduce school bus emissions which have been shown to cause asthma episodes. Most buses use heavily polluting diesel engines; newer fuels and engines are cleaner. Illinois limits the amount of time school buses are allowed to idle.
• Offer schools a quick tool for assessing their readiness to support students with asthma. The American Lung Association’s free How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School? questionnaire (available on www.lungusa.org) can help guide parents and school staff to understand all elements of the school systems that can impact children with asthma.
• Volunteer to serve on the school’s Health Advisory Committee or work with your local Asthma Coalition to provide the school with asthma tools and education.
• Participate in an American Lung Association Asthma Walk in your local community. Asthma Walks nationwide help to raise support for asthma research and education.


The American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago is marking its 100th anniversary year promoting lung health and raising funds for lung research. For more information, or to download an Asthma Action Plan, log on to www.lungchicago.org or call 312/243-2000.