Related Experiment Videos
The Red Alert Program for life-threatening asthma
1Pediatric Pulmonary Division, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0296, USA.
Insights
The Red Alert Program successfully reduced deaths in children with life-threatening asthma by ensuring timely, aggressive medical intervention. This comprehensive network model shows promise for similar pediatric asthma management programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Public Health Interventions
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Life-threatening asthma poses a significant mortality risk in children.
- Existing healthcare networks may not adequately address the urgent needs of these patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a program aimed at preventing mortality in children experiencing life-threatening asthma.
- To establish a comprehensive medical network for early and aggressive intervention.
Main Methods:
- Utilized published guidelines to identify children with life-threatening asthma.
- Developed a multi-component network including emergency medical services, schools, families, physicians, and a referral center.
- Focused on providing rapid access to aggressive medical care for enrolled patients.
Main Results:
- Enrolled 75 patients over 8 years, with 25 admissions for life-threatening asthma in 15 patients.
- Reported 3 deaths, with 2 occurring in patients who did not utilize program services.
- Demonstrated a high degree of patient and family satisfaction with the program's services.
Conclusions:
- The Red Alert Program effectively facilitated more aggressive and timely interventions for severe asthma attacks.
- The program appears successful in preventing deaths among enrolled children.
- The Red Alert Program serves as a potential model for managing pediatric life-threatening asthma.
Objective:
To design a program to prevent death in children with life-threatening asthma.
Methods:
Using published guidelines to identify patients with life-threatening asthma, we developed a comprehensive medical network involving emergency medical services, school workers, extended family members, local physicians, emergency rooms, and a referral center. The network was designed to provide early, aggressive medical attention and rapid access to care for patients enrolled in the program.
Results:
In 8 years of operation, 75 patients have been enrolled. There have been 270 hospitalizations, with life-threatening asthma occurring in 25 admissions in 15 patients. Three patients have died; of these, two did not use the services provided by the program.
Conclusions:
The Red Alert Program has been successful in assuring more aggressive and timely intervention for asthma attacks and seems to have prevented deaths. Patients and their families express a high degree of satisfaction with the services. The Red Alert Program may serve as a model for other programs for children with life-threatening asthma.