Sacbreathe.org

Asthma

The prevalence of pediatric asthma nationally has increased 160% from 1982 to 1995. In California, adult asthma has increased 60% from 1984 to 1996. It is estimated that over 300,000 people have asthma in the Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails 28 county service area. Asthma is the leading cause of school absences due to chronic illness
and lost workdays. Why is it such a problem?

The increase is related to complex and multiple causes including:

Lack of education on self-management and/or diagnosis
Access to medical services and/or not receiving the medical help necessary to manage their asthma
Outdoor air pollution caused primarily by vehicle emissions in our non-attainment air
basin
Secondhand Smoke and other indoor air pollution
Dissemination of asthma management guidelines and healthcare providers following
these guidelines

Asthma must be aggressively attacked. Asthma intervention with public health strategies are needed in three major areas medical management, environment and schools. Breathe California is actively working toward reducing the severity and prevalence of asthma in our local communities with the guidance of our Asthma Collaborative. For more information or access to our asthma “Tool Kit”, please download a copy or call our office at 916-444-5900.

NEW! Teens and Asthma

We have launched our teen-friendly asthma webpage! Thanks to a generous grant from Citigroup/Smith Barney, our Teen Asthma Task Force, in collaboration with our Asthma Collaborative, created a series of questions and answers geared towards teens to help them and their parents better understand the disease and how to control it. The materials will also help school staff better understand the seriousness of asthma among this age group.

Check out our new web page now by clicking here!

Your Asthma Book

The Asthma Tool Kit, “Your Asthma Book” and Self Care Card, which is a resource for asthma sufferers to learn more about their asthma and to better manage their care, is now available online! The tool kit is in its 3rd revision, thanks to the Asthma Collaborative. This new edition includes a section on pregnancy and asthma as well as frequently asked questions. The Asthma Tool Kit is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, but is only available in English online. More than 26,000 copies have been distributed around the world to Bangladesh, Bosnia, Canada, Indonesia, New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Call (916)444-5900 to have a copy sent to you.

Asthma Collaborative

Established in 1999 through a generous grant from Glaxo Wellcome, the Breathe California Asthma Collaborative completed a community needs assessment related to asthma for the Sacramento area. With a group of dedicated physicians, school nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, health care administrators, and parents, the focus of the first year was to determine both the gaps and strengths of the existing system of care in our community. A set of eleven recommendations was created and subsequently ranked to determine the three priority areas. With a majority of the members returning and the addition of a number of new participants, the collaborative has implemented a task force formed around each of the following priorities:

1. A toolbox of resources for providers to use with asthmatic patients, including the "Your Asthma Book"

2. Raising public awareness of the seriousness of asthma and the resources available in the community.
: 3. Partnering with school districts to improve policies and to bring asthma education to the children, parents and staff.

4. Partnering with local pharmacies to help educate asthmatic patients on the use of their medication devices.

Asthma Legislation

Effective January 1, 2005, a new law (AB2132, Reyes D-Fresno) authorizes students to carry and self-administer inhaled asthma medication if the school district has written permission from the child’s health provider and parent or guardian. Prior to passage of the law, school districts were not required to permit students with asthma to carry and self-administer their medications at the onset of an asthma attack.