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Topic: Non Ch Asthma advice please (Read 249 times) |
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pubgirl
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Sorry to ask this here, but I am only home from hospital long enough to wash, change and catch a few hours sleep so don't have time to surf for answers.
4 year old son admitted to hospital Saturday with suspected asthma attack (no history of asthma at all, and no allergies before)
He is staying night-time oxygen dependant despite regular nebulisation,Salbutamol? (puffer thingy) oxygen, antibiotics and what seem to me to be alarming doses of oral prednisone (60 mgs per day for 4 days they are saying)
They will not contemplate any further action or any question of discharging him until he has stayed at high 90's sats for 24 hours+.
Those of you with experience of this, does this sound right?
Thanks in advance
Wendy
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| « Last Edit: May 17th, 2004, 5:56pm by pubgirl » |
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broomhilda
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #1 on: May 17th, 2004, 5:53pm » |
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Wendy, that sounds quite severe, was the asthma attack really bad? If so then this would be the aggressive treatment he needs, poor guy....
With my son and my friends children they are sent home with nebulizer treatments up to six times per day and the pred is used in drastic times....
Good luck, so sorry and I hope healing comes quick for all of you!
Take care
Andrea
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pubgirl
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #2 on: May 17th, 2004, 5:58pm » |
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Andrea, not sure what is severe or not as I have no experience of this.
He was really in trouble breathing which was why I went to A&E as I knew it was serious, but the steroid does seems HUGE for a little one
Wendy
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broomhilda
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #3 on: May 17th, 2004, 6:06pm » |
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For asthma, steroids in particular prednisone is one of the best, if you look online there is quite a bit of info on pred and the treatment of asthma especially for children, short term that is, to reduce the inflamatory airways . Once they feel he is well they will reduce it to nothing, prevent that is working right now really well is Singulair for children, my son is taking it for asthma...
Good luck Wendy so sorry to hear, hope he is better soon....
ps- my sisters cat is on 60 mgs, I am not kidding for asthma
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Tiannia
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #4 on: May 17th, 2004, 6:13pm » |
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Sorry Wendy -
My only experiance is with my son - he started on a nebulizer at 4 month because he got RSV. Even know that he is testing neg for RSV. He has his treatments of albuteral and Pulmacort minimum of 2 times a day up to 5 times a day.
I would think that the pred would denote that this is more serious.
Wish I could help more.
-Tia
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no-one
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #5 on: May 17th, 2004, 7:24pm » |
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Hi Wendy,
I hope your son is feeling better, I understand how scary it can be when they are little and can't breath.
What you told me that they have done so far sounds right on the money. We have done the prednisone more times then I like to think about. The prednisone taste REALLY bad, will make him hyper and eat like crazy but he will be able to breath and thats the most important thing. When you guys get to leave they may give you a peak flow, which is a tube that he blows in that will help measure his air flow, which we did 2 times a day for the first few months once a day for a few months and then only when needed . When my son was little he would tell me his tummy hurt, not his lungs. So you have to have him show you were it hurts.
I hope that helps some. If you have any questions just ask I will help any way I can
Becky
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Mr. Happy
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #6 on: May 17th, 2004, 8:39pm » |
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Time to buy a nebulizer, Wendy. We never leave home w/o it. One of our kids got slammed at 1.5 years. Needed epiniphrine jams, pediapred, albuterol, and Intal (Cromlyn Sodium - prevent.) Scary shit at the time.
The nebulizer cost about $100. We've used it over 14 years. Good investment. You'll need one handy, especially while identifying triggers for the wee bairn. Speedy treatment is everything..........minutes, not hours or days.
Asthma sucks,
RJ
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mynm156
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #7 on: May 17th, 2004, 8:50pm » |
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Hello Wendy,
I am a Respiratory Therapist and here in America I would be the one responsible for getting your son OFF of the O2.
To Answer your question YES this does sound right. However I need to ask you to clarify something for me . This ( Puffer Thingy) Is this an Inhaler that you just squeeze and take a couple puffs off of, or is it a mist like treatment that takes 5 or ten mins? If it is just a couple of puffs this couls take for ever.
I tell you to ask them about useing the salbutamol (AKA albuterol, Ventolin, Proventil) and compining it with another drug called Atrovent (AKA Ipratropium bromide) to be andimistered via Nebulizer. This is that mist like treatment I was refering too. We give Asthmatic Children Several treatments like these usually three back to back or twenty mins apart and then every two to four hours as needed.. It takes Tenn puffs of an inhaler to make 1 of those treatments.
Good luck and if there is anything else I can help youwith U know where to find me!!
Good Vibes to you and your son
MYNM156
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pubgirl
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #8 on: May 17th, 2004, 10:10pm » |
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Thank you to everyone, Andrea, Becky, Tia, Randy and mynm. What a comfort to have you all here! I am SO GRATEFUL.
It sounds like they know what they are doing as last night he has had a colourless drug (don't know which one) administered via a " water bubbler thingy" which was attached to his oxygen supply, then in addition he has been manually given the blue inhaler (six squirts, eight deep breaths to each squirt via a plastic contraption with a mouthpiece which they have said they he will need to have at home/school etc on standby from now on)
During today when his sats were fine without help he has just had the inhaler several times a day. The sats just plummet to dangerous levels as soon as he sleeps.
Off back to the hospital now, so fingers crossed that while I've been gone his 02 level has held up a bit better.
Will let you know the outcome and will ask about a home nebuliser too (thanks for the tip Randy)
Wendy
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juvy
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #9 on: May 18th, 2004, 5:50am » |
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Wendy,
no it doesn't. I have asthma since i was 8. Pred for a 4 yr old is a little severe. Can cause health probs later down the road. I'll email this to my mom. (she's been on everything known to man for her asthma) and ask her advice.
Will post again soon. Healing vibes headed your way.
Cheers,
Juvy
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pubgirl
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #10 on: May 18th, 2004, 7:48am » |
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Hello again
Good news, we are very happy as they've just let us out. George managed to maintain his sats overnight in the low 90's without oxygen support.
They have stopped the prednisone, and just sent us home with the puffer and the remainder of the antiobiotic course.
We are now hoping that it was a one-off.
Thanks for all your help everyone, it's very comforting knowing there is so much knowledge out there
Wendy
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floridian
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #11 on: May 18th, 2004, 8:28am » |
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Wendy,
Sorry to hear about your crisis. I don't know much about short term management of asthma and allergies other than it is scary and serious. But I would suggest you consider fish oil and apples in addition to any short term asthma abortives. It isn't a quick fix, but it may reduce the need for inhalers over the medium to long run. And hopefully, George will out-grow it over time.
Quote:Asthma and pulmonary function
Apple consumption has been inversely linked with asthma and has also been positively associated with general pulmonary health. In a recent study involving 1600
adults in Australia, apple and pear intake was associated with a decreased risk of asthma and a decrease in bronchial hypersensitivity, but total fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with asthma risk or severity [8]. Specific antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, retinol, and -carotene, were not associated with asthma or bronchial hypersensitivity. Previously it had been found that apple intake, as well as selenium intake, was associated with less asthma in adults in the United Kingdom [27]. This study surveyed nearly 600 individuals with asthma and 900 individuals without asthma about
their diet and lifestyle. Total fruit and vegetable intake was weakly associated with asthma, and apple intake showed a stronger inverse relationship with asthma. This latter
effect was most clear in subjects who consumed at least two apples per week. Onion, tea, and red wine consumption were not related to asthma incidence, suggesting an especially beneficial effect of apple flavonoids. Vitamin C and vitamin E were not correlated with asthma incidence, and carotene intake was weakly, but positively, associated with asthma. Apple intake and orange intake were both associated with a reduced incidence of asthma in the Finnish study involving 10, 000 men and women [16]. Flavonoid intake in general was associated with a lower risk of asthma, and the association was attributed mainly to quercetin, hesperitin, and naringenin. Other fruits and vegetables, such as onions, grapefruit, white cabbage, and juices, were not associated with a decreased risk in asthma.
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/3/1/5
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Quote: Proc Nutr Soc. 2002 Aug;61(3):345-58.
Dietary modification of inflammation with lipids.
Calder PC. Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, UK. pcc@soton.ac.uk
The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in high proportions in oily fish and fish oils. The n-3 PUFA are structurally and functionally distinct from the n-6 PUFA. Typically, human inflammatory cells contain high proportions of the n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid and low proportions of n-3 PUFA. The significance of this difference is that arachidonic acid is the precursor of 2-series prostaglandins and 4-series leukotrienes, which are highly-active mediators of inflammation. Feeding fish oil results in partial replacement of arachidonic acid in inflammatory cell membranes by EPA. This change leads to decreased production of arachidonic acid-derived mediators. This response alone is a potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of n-3 PUFA. However, n-3 PUFA have a number of other effects which might occur downstream of altered eicosanoid production or might be independent of this activity. For example, animal and human studies have shown that dietary fish oil results in suppressed production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and can decrease adhesion molecule expression. These effects occur at the level of altered gene expression. This action might come about through antagonism of the effects of arachidonic acid-derived mediators or through more direct actions on the intracellular signalling pathways which lead to activation of transcription factors such as nuclear factor kappa B (NFB). Recent studies have shown that n-3 PUFA can down regulate the activity of the nuclear transcription factor NFB. Fish oil feeding has been shown to ameliorate the symptoms in some animal models of chronic inflammatory disease and to protect against the effects of endotoxin and similar inflammatory challenges. Clinical studies have reported that oral fish oil supplementation has beneficial effects in rheumatoid arthritis and among some patients with asthma, supporting the idea that the n-3 PUFA in fish oil are anti-inflammatory. There are indications that inclusion of n-3 PUFA in enteral and parenteral formulas might be beneficial to patients in intensive care or post-surgery. |
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pubgirl
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #12 on: May 20th, 2004, 11:34am » |
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A very belated but very heartfelt Thank you to all of you who have sent me information and best wishes. George is doing very well at home, and will be back at school tomorrow, with his lunchbox full of apples!
Wendy
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broomhilda
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #13 on: May 20th, 2004, 1:06pm » |
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Great news Wendy thank you for the update!
Take care!
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Tiannia
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #14 on: May 20th, 2004, 1:24pm » |
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Glad he is doing better. Just make sure that he tells you when he is getting hit. That is the tough part. but it was always easier for me as a kid to stop an attack early then waiting until it got worse.
=Tia
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pubgirl
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #15 on: May 20th, 2004, 2:26pm » |
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Hey Tia
I explained to him that if he ever found it difficult to breathe or his chest was sore, he must tell his teacher or us. Guess what the little bas*ard is doing now? Everytime we want him to do something he doesn't want to do he clutches he chest and starts making wheezing noises! Oscar winning stuff, the little monster.
God give me strength!
W
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broomhilda
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Re: Non Ch Asthma advice please
« Reply #16 on: May 20th, 2004, 3:42pm » |
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LMAO Wendy my son does the same thing during physical education at school he tells his teacher he can no longer go on as he has asthma, and he has not even run yet LOL!!!!!!
Good luck, little buggers!
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