Children hospitalized for asthma have a 20% chance of returning to the hospital within a year to treat another asthma flare, according to a study.
The study, published in the February 2018 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, found that giving children (and/or their parents) appropriate asthma medication and education at discharge reduced their chances of being readmitted.
The study included data from 45 hospitals. It listed successful discharge strategies for children with asthma:
- Providing comprehensive asthma education by a doctor, nurse, certified asthma educator or respiratory therapist
- Providing asthma medications (quick-relief and/or controller inhalers, oral corticosteroids) and devices (spacer, valved holding chamber) at discharge
- Scheduling a follow-up appointment with a primary care doctor or asthma specialist
- Planning a home visit to consider environmental factors (mold, dust, pets, pests) that could trigger asthma symptoms
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