A pilot project at Union's Roy Clark and Briarglen elementary schools is empowering teachers, parents and students with information about managing asthma.
The Tulsa Area Asthma Steering Committee project helped identify almost 50 students with possible signs or symptoms of asthma, or whose diagnosed asthma appears to be uncontrolled, said Gena Dupus, clinical assistant professor in the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa's College of Pharmacy.
"The schools were really interested in this project because they deal with asthma so frequently in classrooms. If teachers themselves or their children don't have asthma, they might not know the symptoms and it scares them a little," Dupus said.
Students who were identified through a screening process were referred to their family doctor or to the OU Physicians Community Health Clinic located at Roy Clark Elementary, 3656 S. 103rd East Ave.
Then, faculty members from the OU-Tulsa College of Pharmacy offered a training class called Asthma 101 for parents and teachers.
Now, second-year pharmacy interns are teaching students how to manage their asthma symptoms with a six-lesson program developed by the American Lung Association, called, "Open Airways for Schools."
On a recent morning at Roy Clark, the interns explained the warning signs of an asthma attack to third-graders using a traffic light as an analogy.
"Yellow is for the warning signs -- that means you need to slow down. Red means stop and do something about your asthma,"
intern Tamara Stinnett told the students.
The students used crayons to check off the warning signs they experience on a kid-friendly worksheet, complete with illustrations.
Robert Firethunder told Stinnett, "Sometimes it feels like something's sitting on my chest."
The interns discussed the importance of recognizing those warning signs, telling an adult, using their prescribed medications and resting and relaxing.
They also reviewed the proper ways of administering the prescription rescue inhalers and control inhalers the children said they use.
When asked if they had questions, a couple of students shared their worries about the disorder, which is marked by constricted and inflamed airways.
"I get scared," said Esteban Marroquin.
"Yeah, it's scary when you're having trouble breathing," intern Jocelyn Anstine told him.
Anahi Montes told the interns, "I'm kind of scared of my asthma because my doctor was talking to my mom and he said Advair (an asthma medication) can help control my asthma, but some kids die from it."
Intern Asheley Page told Anahi that severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening and require emergency treatment, but she also tried to reassure her by saying, "That's why you're here, so you will all be experts in how to deal with asthma."
Signs of an attack needing emergency treatment
--Rapid worsening of shortness of breath or wheezing
--No improvement even after using short-acting bronchodilators
--Shortness of breath with minimal activity
Source: Mayo Clinic
Andrea Eger 581-8470 andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com To see more of the Tulsa World, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tulsaworld.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Tulsa World, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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