BNURS20 Nursing

Introduction

Childhood asthma describes a medical condition in which the airway of a child narrows causing symptoms such as breathing and difficulty in breathing (Gana and Fitzgerald, 2018). The global prevalence is 1 in 10 children. The prevalence in Australia is one of the highest. Although asthma is a chronic illness, appropriate care greatly improves the quality of life. The presentation will mainly focus on the situation in Australia. This work will be concerned with asthma in children. Specifically, the following issues will be addressed: the background, what is being done, some important statistics and evaluation of the success of the interventions.

Background/Context

Globally, about one in every 10 children are diagnosed with asthma. Whereas asthma affects both adults and children, it is more common in infants and young children (Chu and Bhimji, 2017). The prevalence of childhood asthma in Australia remains to be one of the highest in the world. Whereas asthma attacks could be life threatening, early detection and appropriate care greatly improves the quality of life and reduces complications (Maxfield and Peter, 2014). Asthma has been classified as the most common chronic medical condition affecting infants and young children.  An estimated 20.8% of children aged 0-15 years have ever been diagnosed with asthma at a point in their lifetime (Asher and Pearce, 2014).  11.3% of the children in the age group mentioned above experience asthma currently. Extensive research indicates that child asthma has reached a plateau in Australia since the 1980s and early 1990s. The reasons for this have not yet been identified.

There are several factors that may predispose an infant/child to asthma. These include a family history of the condition and when the mother smokes during pregnancy. Several factors can trigger asthma attacks. These include: exposure to such allergens as pollen, environmental irritants such as cigarette smoke, strong smells or other forms of air pollution. There are several symptoms that are observed/associated with asthma in children. These include difficulty in breathing, coughing which especially happens at night or when stimulated by cold weather, allergies and wheezing (this is a very common symptom and refers to production of a characteristic sound when breathing. This is usually because of narrowed airway which causes difficulty in breathing.)

Interventions

Healthcare is always a key area of priority in any modern government. The role of offering adequate health care to citizens is usually primarily the role of the government. As already seen, asthma in children is an important medical condition in Australia. Due to this, there are several interventions that are being carried out by the government and other players to ensure that asthma is efficiently and effectively managed. Some of these interventions are going to be discussed next.

One of the interventions is the development of the National Asthma Council of Australia. The council is mandated to deal with the issues revolving around asthma (Becker, 2014). Development of the body has gone a long way in ensuring that both children and adults who suffer from asthma live comfortably and have quality life. The council has developed action plan for asthma patients. These plans detail what should be done in case of an asthma diagnosis, asthma attack or asthma complications. With the action plans, it has become easier to manage asthma and complications associated with it.

Other interventions include offering of medical cover which ensures that those who suffer from asthma can receive health care at any time. Another intervention is the development of the Australian asthma handbook. This was developed by the national Asthma Council of Australia and contains valuable information for the patients and caregivers. There has also been increased awareness and education about the condition which makes the members of the public more aware of the condition and how to care for the affected members.

Evaluation

The success of the intervention would be described as great. The intervention measures explained have greatly succeeded in achieving positive impacts. For instance, the affected, care givers and members of the public are more aware of asthma and its aetiology. People with asthma receive more care and love from those around them without being ostracized. Access to health care (asthma care) has greatly improved over the years.

Conclusion

Asthma is a chronic medical condition that is characterized by inflammation of the air passages leading to their constriction. The global prevalence of asthma in children is about one in every 10. Prevalence of asthma in children in Australia is one of the highest in the world. Factors such as family history and smoking during pregnancy may increase the chances of developing asthma. Factors that trigger asthma include allergens, weather, exercise and infections. Symptoms of the condition include difficulty in breathing, wheezing, allergic reactions and coughing. The government, as the primary health care provider, has made some moves to ensure care for asthmatic patients.

References

Asher, I., & Pearce, N. (2014). Global burden of asthma among children. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease, 18(11), 1269-1278.

Maxfield, J & Peter, M. (2014). Asthma facts and FAQs.

Barnes, P. J. (2016). Asthma-COPD overlap. Chest, 149(1), 7-8.

Chu, R., & Bhimji, S. (2017). Asthma Medications, Children.

Gana, A. M. H., & Fitzgerald, D. A. (2018). Question 1: Why do children still die from asthma? Pediatric respiratory reviews.

Becker, A.B. (2014). National Asthma Council Australia. Australian Asthma Handbook 2014, Version 1.0.