Asthma in Pediatric and Occupational Therapy Treatment Research Paper

Asthma is a disease of the airways and its inflammation is chronic. It affects the airways in the lungs. These airways produce a wheezing sound due to the narrowing nature of the affected airways. There is also breathlessness in the affected patients that makes them seem suffocated and sometimes coughing. This lack of airflow either stops or can respond to a certain range of treatment. If it continues, the patient becomes very much responsive to stimuli such as exercises, cold, stress, pollutants, and others (Neil, 2009, par. 1-5).

Pediatric asthma is also referred to as asthma in children. Occupational therapy treatment is a profession in the health career whose main aim is to assist people to be less dependent on others and, have satisfaction in their day-to-day activities. They do use their know-how to assist people to engage in things that are meaningful and valuable. They also bring back independence in an individual who has any kind of disability or illness. They advise the caregivers of the victims and make them assist and promote the person’s level to be involved in certain daily activities. They also address the person’s performance level, activity, or environment where the performance is taking place. (The Nemours Foundation, 1995, par. 2-5)

Asthma in pediatrics is very serious as they have narrower airways than in adults therefore they encounter many difficulties. A problem that may seem minor in adults may be worse in children. Asthma as it appears it causes various complications. The various problems caused by asthma include persistent cough, inability to exercise, nighttime symptoms that leads to lack of sleep, failure to attend school, hospital stays, troubled breathing, changes in the functions of the lungs, use of many funds for treatment, and death. As a result, it is very serious in pediatrics. It can be classified in several ways especially in pediatrics.

Mild Intermittent

In this, the signs and symptoms are not more than two days a week and the peak flows are more than 80% of a pediatric personal best and, a minimal variability in daily flows. This shows it is not a very serious problem. At this level, proper attention may not make the life of the affected child difficult.

Mild Persistent

Symptoms are there for more than two days or twice at nighttime. The flow peak is more than 80% of the child’s personal best, and less than 30% variability in the day-to-day flow of the peak measurements. At this stage, there are persistent difficulties especially in breathing, and can interfere with the child’s growth and activities.

Moderate Persistent

The symptoms appear daily or more than a week at night. Peak flows are not more than 60% of the pediatric personal best or less than 30%variability in measurements of peak flow. It is more complicated more than the above stages since improper observations may lead to advancement to the other grade that may later cause death.

Severe Persistent

This has continued day and nighttime symptoms. Peak flows are not more than 60% of the child’s personal best and less than 30% variability in daily measurements of the peal flow. Since the peak flow is minimal, there is a need for proper monitoring to avoid sudden deaths and other problems that are complicated (Vincent, 2003, par. 5).

Prioritized Problem List

1. Breathlessness on activity
2. Frequent coughs
3. Environment sensitivity
4. Lack of sleep
5. Child difficulties in crawling or walking
6. Frequent pneumonia attacks
7. Feeding difficulties

LTG

• Patient will adapt to various environmental conditions with exposures to different types of environment 2/7 until the condition improves.
• Patient will feed without difficulties and after some years, he will do it without much monitoring
• Patient will engage himself in various activities without much breathing problems after various exercises in 3/7 in six months.
• Minimal or no use of inhalers to induce breathing.

STG

• Patient will minimize coughs after few proper feeding programs and close monitoring in his or her activities.
• Patient will achieve activities like crawling and walking without difficulties and avoid missing school or parents’ work.
• Patient as a child will be able to have adequate sleep for proper growth due to less or no chronic symptoms.
• Patient will stop having pneumonia frequently (Vincent, 2003, par. 3).

The place for attending an asthmatic child as an occupational therapist, I would set up, would be highly sensitive in many ways. I would choose a room where there is proper ventilation since the main problem in asthmatic pediatrics is breathlessness. The room would not be so hot or cold for proper aeration and smooth breathing this will prevent pneumonia.

Since persistent coughs are a hindrance to various activities, I would have frequent visits by a pediatrician for regular checkups. I would also give proper food and fluids to try to clear the throat and maintain cleanliness to avoid any dust.

Various activities would be my work. This involves body movements and other regular small exercises of about five to seven minutes in two hours to avoid strenuous exercises that might lead to suffocation.

Nighttime symptoms also contribute to a lot of severity in the advancement of asthma. Therefore, I would ensure the place where the child sleeps is well made and there is a person next to the child for close monitoring.

The environment is a major factor in the severity of the patients with the disease. I would try to expose the patient slowly by slowly to some places not so harsh but which will help develop the lungs and the bronchioles of the patient and since he is growing there is a likelihood that he will change.

Home Programs

1. Have the child’s room properly ventilated to avoid any complications and enhancement to the other level of the disease.
2. Monitor the child while sleeping to check whether he is having enough sleep.
3. Try to expose the child to various environmental conditions but not too harsh conditions.
4. Have the child involved in various exercises whether in school or at home to improve the breathing system by vasodilation of the narrowed airways.

Thus, asthma in pediatric and occupational therapy treatment can be utilized by occupational therapists to assist patients suffering from asthma. This condition is easy to detect and prevent. Since it has home programs, it can be treated at home and this necessitates all individuals to know incase of asthma occurrences.

Reference

Neil, K (2009). Asthma-pediatric, Web.

The Nemours Foundation (1995). What is occupational therapy, Web.

Vincent, I (2003). Asthma in children, Web.