Cuando la educación en asma es crucial. A propósito de un caso

Background: Childhood asthma causes frequent hospitalizations and visits to the emergency room because of exacerbations that could be avoided if the disease is managed properly. Clinical case: A 6-year-old girl who has had asthma since her first 16 months of life. She had been taken 130 times to the emergency room; she had been hospitalized 22 times, and she had received numerous medical consultations for asthma. She had never received structured health education, therefore, she was misusing the inhalation devices, and the controller treatment for bronchial inflammation was clearly below the dose according to the level of severity of the disease. There was an intervention focused on health education, an increase in the dose of anti-inflammatory drugs to treat bronchial asthma, and instruction in the proper use of inhaled medications. Since the intervention was made, the patient achieved better control without requiring visits to the emergency room, hospital admissions, or systemic corticosteroids after two years of follow-up. Conclusions: The lack of health education about asthma causes insufficient control of the disease. In the therapeutic approach to patients with severe uncontrolled asthma, it is essential to apply structured procedures of health education.