What Do Nurses and Residents Know about Childhood Asthma?. Issue 5 (3rd October 1999)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lemay, Jean-François; Moore, Sean I; Zegray, Michele; Ducharme, Francine M
• Is Part Of: Canadian respiratory journal. Volume 6:Issue 5(1999)
• Page Start: 417
• Page End: 422
• Publication Date: 1999-10-03
• Subjects: Asthma -- Children -- Education -- Health personnel Knowledge -- Prevention -- Questionnaire; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Canada -- Periodicals; Respiration; Respiratory organs -- Diseases; Canada; Respiratory Tract Diseases -- Periodicals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1155/1999/258709
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1198-2241

Abstract

Abstract : OBJECTIVES: To assess residents' and pediatric nurses' basic knowledge of childhood asthma and to identify areas needing educational reinforcement. DESIGN: Survey using a validated self-administered questionnaire containing 25 true-false and six short open-ended questions. PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric residents and family medicine residents who were on rotation at a tertiary care pediatric hospital over a six-month period, and pediatric nurses on duty in the emergency department, on the wards and on the pediatric intensive care unit over a month period. RESULTS: The participation rate was 80% (28 of 35) of pediatric residents, 89% (33 of 37) of family medicine residents, and 50% (81 of 163) of pediatric nurses. The mean score (± standard deviation) on the 31-point questionnaire was 27.7±1.8 for pediatric residents, 25.5±3.6 for family medicine residents, and 22.3±3.8 for pediatric nurses (ANOVA, P<0.001). Most (at least 75%) participants correctly identified bronchospasm and airway inflammation as two potential mechanisms of asthma and were able to list three routinely used drugs to treat exacerbations. However, 32% of pediatric residents, 12% of family medicine residents and 72% of pediatric nurses failed to identify all three main symptoms of asthma (wheezing, cough, dyspnea). Although most participants recognized that children with frequent exacerbations should receive prophylactic therapy, 25% of pediatric residents, 52% of family medicine residents and 81% of pediatric nurses were unable to name at least two preventive asthma medications. More than 50% of participants could not name two drugs used in the prevention of exercise-induced asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Residents and nurses had adequate basic knowledge of the treatment of acute exacerbations. However, most individuals needed reinforcement in preventive asthma therapy and daily management.