Portable device could help prevent asthma attacks

CBS North Carolina

By Maggie Newland

6/21/16

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – For people who suffer from asthma, attacks can be scary and dangerous, but local researchers are working on a device that could predict and ultimately prevent asthma attacks.

Every week Darrien Reeves gets numerous shots to control his severe asthma.

That’s on top of his daily medications and inhaler for emergencies.

“He really has to be aware of his symptoms to prevent an attack,” explained his mother, Charlotte Reeves.

At UNC Hospital Children’s Clinic in Raleigh, Darrien Reeves’ doctors are testing a device that may make it easier to prevent asthma attacks. It’s a portable spirometer that measures lung function.

“This is in the beginning stages ...

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Getting urban kids with asthma to use primary care docs

MD Magazine

By Eric Wertzer

6/24/16

When it comes to urban childhood asthma, primary care physicians—not specialists or emergency room doctors—should be  the go-to caregivers, researchers have found. But these kids' parents or other significant adults in their lives may not be aware that these primary care physicians (PCPs)  can and should play the main role in care. Using electronic communications can get that message to parents and improve care, a team found.

A study designed to heighten awareness and use of PCPs as the principal resource for pediatric asthma care among urban minority youth significantly redirected focus on PCPs.

Conducted by doctors and other health professionals from the Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, and the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, the prospective study addressed ...

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Making asthma, allergies easier to cope with

Odessa American

By Ruth Campbell

6/24/16

Millions of Americans — children and adults — suffer from allergies and there are more now than ever before.

Dr. Kevin Benson, who has been at the Medical Center Hospital Family Health Clinic since October, said there is a crossover among asthma, allergies and eczema. “They call it the allergic triad. They all kind of go together.

“They’re all autoimmune, so if you’re affected by one, you’re often affected by the others,” said Benson, who is board certified in pediatrics.

In general, Benson said, physicians are seeing more autoimmune illnesses and food allergies than ever, but no explanation has been ...

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Was the Doctor Right About Your Child’s Asthma Diagnosis?

U.S. News & World Report

By Michael O. Schroeder
5/19/16

It seems like a eureka moment – and it may, in fact, be just that: Your child, who has been nursing a cough and wheezing while exerting himself, is finally diagnosed – with asthma.

Historically, research finds this common chronic respiratory disease was missed in many children, and today experts say in certain populations in the U.S., like low-income families, asthma is still considered to be underdiagnosed. But based on more recent international research, some experts now question whether the pendulum has swung way too far in the other direction and argue that today, asthma is overdiagnosed in kids. “The published literature is clear that many have a diagnosis of asthma with no supporting evidence,” said Dr. Andrew Bush, a professor of pediatrics at Imperial College London who specializes in pediatric respiratory medicine, in an email. “We therefore need to up our game in using simple tests to confirm the diagnosis of asthma.”

Bush co-wrote an article with Dr. Louise Fleming ...

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Capitalizing on a teachable moment motivates parents of kids with asthma to quit smoking

By Boston University Medical Center

5/17/16

Parents who smoke are more likely to quit smoking after receiving motivational smoking cessation counseling following a "teachable moment" (TM) such as witnessing their child experience an asthma attack.

The study, which appears in the journal Addiction, also found that in-home counseling visits, including feedback on their child's second hand smoke exposure (SHSe) and counseling phone calls improved the likelihood of smoking cessation and less SHSe.

Despite a reduction in overall smoking prevalence, parental smoking and pediatric SHSe remain high, particularly among minority and low income families with children with asthma. More than 40 percent of all children are exposed to SHSe, which increases the risk for asthma.

Led by Belinda Borrelli, PhD, professor of Health Policy & Health Services Research and Director of Behavioral Science Research at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM), the researchers compared parents who smoke and have a child ...

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