Creating Asthma Friendly Schools in Montana

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Creating Asthma Friendly Schools in Montana
Using the Resource Guide
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Asthma in Montana Youth

• Asthma is a common disease among Montana
  children.
• Asthma affects school attendance and performance.
• With planning, asthma can be controlled in the
  school setting.

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What is asthma?

• Chronic disease
• No Cure
• Can be CONTROLLED
• Underlying Inflammation (Silent component)
• Muscle tightening (During
  attack)

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How is asthma controlled?

• CONTROLLER MEDICATIONS
• Taken to PREVENT symptoms
• Reduce Inflammation
• Address the silent component of the disease
• Taken daily, usually at home
• Most commonInhaled Corticosteriods
• Safe, effective

• RESCUE MEDICATION
• Taken in RESPONSE to symptoms
• Used during an attack
• Should be available at school
• Relax the smooth muscle squeezing the airway
• Safe, effective

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How is asthma controlled?
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL Reduce exposure to things
that trigger attacks
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7 Steps to creating an asthma friendly school
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Identify students with asthma
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Step 1 Identify students with asthma
W H Y

• To know which children have this common chronic
  illness and may need special considerations like
  carrying rescue medication at school,
  environmental modification etc.
• Form identification letter to parents
• Medication authorization form
• Asthma action plan

R E S O U R C E S
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Step 2 Allow students easy access to their
inhalers
W H Y

• Its the law
• Smart policiesbetter health and safety!
• Model asthma policy from the Montana School
  Board Association

R E S O U R C E S
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Step 3 Create a school wide protocol for
handling worsening asthma
W H Y

• This protocol could literally save a childs
  life.
• Should be displayed widely around the school
• Protocol for handling worsening asthma

R E S O U R C E S
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Step 4 Identify and reduce common asthma triggers

• Asthma triggers in the school environment can
  severely exacerbate a childs asthma
• Simple steps can be taken to reduce common
  triggers
• Reducing asthma triggers in the school
  environment
• Exhaust from school buses and other vehicles
• Tobacco and wildfire smoke
• Pets and pests
• Mold
• Allergens
• Strong odors and smells
• Clean Air Zone

W H Y
R E S O U R C E S
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Step 5 Enable students with asthma to
participate in school activities

• Students with well controlled asthma should be
  able to participate fully in school activities
• Controlling exercise induced asthma involves
• Pretreatment
• Activity modification
• Coaches Asthma Clipboard www.WinningWithAsthma.or
  g
• Assisting students with exercise induced asthma

W H Y
R E S O U R C E S
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Goal 6 Provide education to personnel,
parents and students  

• Asthma affects children in every school in
  Montana
• Preparing to address asthma requires education
• Asthma education resources for
• Students
• School staff
• Parents

W H Y
R E S O U R C E S
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Goal 6 Collaborate with families, students,
staff and health care providers  

• School staff cannot be expected to do everything
  needed to keep children healthy
• Controlling asthma in the school setting requires
  a strong partnership between the parties involved
• Roles and responsibilities for creating asthma
  friendly schools for
• Administrators School boards
• Teachers School nurses
• Office staff Maintenance staff
• Bus drivers Healthcare providers
• Parents Students

W H Y
R E S O U R C E S
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Conclusion Making your school more asthma
friendly  

• Use checklist on page 4 to identify which steps
  your school does not currently have implemented
  (pg 4)
• Consider using resources in the booklet to help
  implement steps that are lacking at your school
• Contact Montana Team Asthma
• Katie Loveland, MPH, MSW
• kloveland_at_mt.gov
• 406-444-7304

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Questions?
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M T T e a m A s t h m a
Montana Association of School Nurses