Mobile Asthma Clinics
February 21, 2008
When children with asthma don't get their medicines or regular medical care, they miss school and that means they don't learn. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom reports on the
Mobile Asthma Clinics
February 21, 2008
When children with asthma don't get their medicines or regular medical care, they miss school and that means they don't learn. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom reports on the difference it makes in the lives of these children when medical care rolls right up to their school.For more information:
Asthma is a chronic lung disease that occurs when the main air passages of the lungs become inflamed. The inflammation makes the airways smaller, making it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs. Athsma is the leading cause of school absenteeism and the number one reason children go to the emergency room.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that asthma accounts for 14 million missed school days annually. Asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalizations among children younger than 15 years; and the estimated cost of treating asthma in children younger than 18 is $3.2 billion per year.Asthma Signs and Symptoms:
Asthma symptoms make it difficult for children to sleep, exercise, concentrate, thus affecting school performance. Many children do not receive asthma care due to financial problems or transportation problems. A mobile asthma clinic is designed to help these children receive the medical care that is needed to help keep asthma in control with minimal loss of school instruction time.
A team of trained medical staff travels to area schools with a mobile clinic that is specially designed to treat children with asthma. Children have fewer missed hours from school, and parents have fewer missed hours from work.What happens on a mobile asthma clinic?