news release
ANDREW J. SPANO, Westchester County Executive JOSHUA LIPSMAN, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health SUSAN TOLCHIN, Director of Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2005

MOUNT VERNON TRAGEDY HIGHLIGHTS THE

NEED FOR FAMILY ASTHMA MANAGEMENT PLANS

The tragic death of a Westchester child earlier in the spring resulting from asthma serves as a reminder of the importance of developing management plans for individuals with asthma. Asthma is a major public health concern throughout the United States and the number of cases has been increasing over the past two decades.

“From 1980 through 2002, the number of Americans diagnosed with asthma more than tripled from 7 million to 21.9 million,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health for Westchester County. “Approximately 12% of children in the United States have asthma. In 2002, 4.2 million children suffered a flare up of their asthma symptoms in the previous12 months. The recent tragic death in Mount Vernon of a young boy from asthma drives home the impact of this epidemic in our community once again.”

The number of children dying each year from asthma also increased almost threefold from 1979 to 1996, when 266 children died. Asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization among children younger than 15 years of age and results in an estimated 14 million days of school missed by students each year. Inner city and minority communities have higher than average rates of death from asthma.

In 2002, County Executive Andy Spano unveiled several initiatives aimed at combating the problem of asthma in Westchester County, including the establishment of an Asthma Advisory Council and a pilot program for home visits to educate families on the development of asthma management plans. The Asthma Advisory Council is comprised of representatives from Westchester school districts, neighborhood health centers, hospitals, community based organizations and managed care organizations who meet four times a year. The Council is currently focused on promotion of the national asthma management guidelines.

MORE

Asthma – Page 2

Asthma can be effectively managed with medication and by avoiding environmental “triggers” that can cause an asthma flare up. These triggers vary among individuals and may include pollen, cockroaches, dust mites, furry pets, mold, tobacco smoke and some household chemicals. In people with asthma, triggers can cause inflammation of the bronchial tubes resulting in coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

“Children suffering from asthma need to be actively involved in the management of their asthma,” said Dr. Lipsman. “They need to understand what causes an asthma flare up and how to avoid those triggers. They need to know exactly what to do when a flare up occurs.”

Relatives, friends and other members of the community, such as school staff, should also be educated on the signs and symptoms of asthma and how to manage a child’s asthma flare up, as this could occur outside of the home setting. Important information to know about asthma includes:

· What factors tend to worsen asthma symptoms and how to avoid those triggers;

· How to recognize and manage early signs of an asthma flare up;

· How to use medication correctly on a daily basis to prevent an asthma flare up and how to stop or reduce a flare up by knowing which medication to take, how much medication to take and when it is important to seek medical attention;

· Whether the asthmatic is depending too frequently on a “quick relief” or “rescue” inhaler;

· When to call or see a doctor;

· When and how to get emergency treatment.

Parents of asthmatic children need to be vigilant and work with a health care provider to effectively manage the child’s asthma in order to prevent emergency situations from occurring. An individualized action plan needs to be developed for the child listing medical instructions and actions that need to be taken both on a daily basis and if the child becomes ill at home or away from home (e.g. school, camp). Written copies of the plan should be available at all times to anyone caring for the child.

Management of asthma requires more than merely responding to flare ups. Collaboration among parents, families and health care providers can assist with ensuring good control of asthma, full participation in daily activities and “nipping asthma in the bud.” For more information, please call the Westchester County Health Department at (914) 813-5000 or visit the Health Department website at www.westchestergov.com.

-30-