New Providence School District

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New Providence School District

• Asthma Education for School Staff
• Carol McCabe, R.N.
• Jan Miller, R.N.
• Trish Kalinger, R.N.

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• N.J.S.A. 18A40-12.9 mandates annual asthma
  education for teaching staff.
• The following program fulfills the above
• requirement.

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Overview

• Asthma Basics
• How to help students control asthma
• Be prepared
• Reduce triggers
• Recognize symptoms
• Understand medications
• How to handle an asthma emergency
• Other classroom issues
• Exercise and asthma
• Resources

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Asthma Basics

• What is asthma?
• Chronic lung condition that causes breathing
  problems (asthma attacks)
• Manageable disease
• Who has asthma?
• 4.8 million children in the US
• Level of severity varies from student to student

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Asthma Basics (cont.)

• What happens during an asthma attack?
• Airways in lungs become smaller extra mucus in
  airways can further block air
• Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest
  tightness, shortness of breath
• What can trigger an asthma attack?
• Respiratory illness, allergens, weather,
  irritants, emotions, exercise
• Students may have different triggers

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Asthma Basics (cont.)
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How to Help Students Control Asthma Be Prepared!

• Review students asthma treatment plan
• Contact information
• Students triggers
• Asthma symptoms
• Use of medications
• Treatment plan
• Know how to access students asthma medications

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How to Help Students Control Asthma Reduce
Triggers

• Animals
• Remove, isolate, keep cages clean
• Cockroaches and other pests
• Look for signs do not leave food, water or
  garbage exposed remove pest pathways and
  shelters and use pest control products
• Mold
• Second-hand smoke
• Dust mites
• Regularly clean floors, upholstered furniture,
  pillows, etc.
• Inhaled chemical exposure
• Use safer alternatives for felt-tip pens,
  cleaning materials and art supplies

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How to Help Students Control Asthma Recognize
Symptoms

• Know students early warning signs, for example
• Coughing
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Fatigue
• Agitation
• Irritability
• Know students asthma attack signs, for example
• Becoming anxious or scared
• Wheezing while breathing
• Incessant coughing
• Tightness in chest
• Shortness of breath
• Sweaty, clammy skin

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How to Help Students Control Asthma Understand
Medications

• Preventive medications taken daily
• e.g., Azmacort, Flovent, Singulair, Intal
• Rescue medications to treat and relieve symptoms
  as needed
• e.g., Ventolin, Proventil, Maxair
• Using a metered dose inhaler/peak flow meter
• Understand the possible side effects

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How to Handle an Asthma Emergency

• Contact the school nurse
• Allow access to medications as directed by the
  students Asthma Treatment Plan
• Encourage student to relax and take slow, deep
  breaths
• Always have someone accompany the student with
  asthma symptoms when going to the office or
  nurses office

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How to Handle an Asthma Emergency (cont.)

• Call 911 if
• No improvement 15-20 minutes after initial
  treatment with medication
• Medications are not available and student has
  signs of asthma attack
• Lips or nail beds turn gray or blue (students
  with light complexions)
• Paling of lips or nail beds (students with dark
  complexions)
• Decreasing or loss of consciousness

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Other Classroom Issues

• Asthma and physical activity
• Have student take medication before activity
• Provide warm-up and cool-down activities
• Adjust activity as necessary
• Monitor student
• Develop clear, fair procedure for handling missed
  schoolwork

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Resources

• Websites
• www.pacnj.org
• www.alanewjersey.org
• www.lungusa.org
• www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm
• Based on Asthma Management In Educational
  Settings from the American Lung Association of
  Washington