Coping patterns in Latino families of children with asthma

Introduction

Using the Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP), this study examined coping behaviors in 26 Latino parents of children with asthma.

Methods

Correlations and t tests were used to look at variables related to the parents' coping patterns and to compare their frequency of usage of these patterns.

Results

The parents in this study were most likely to cope with their child's asthma by making active attempts to understand this condition, doing activities with family members, and maintaining an optimistic perspective. Child and family variables were not significantly associated with parents' usage of coping patterns.

Discussion

These results shed light on coping in Latino families of children with asthma and contribute to a growing framework of research and practice regarding health problems in this population. The aforementioned results can enhance health care professionals' understanding of the experiences of these families and help develop and expand culturally sensitive interventions to positively affect their health and psychological needs.     

Family function in families with children of normal height and in families with short children

The purpose of this study was to examine any differences regarding cohesion and adaptability between Swedish families with children of normal stature (group A) and those with children of short stature (group B). Cohesion and adaptability were measured using a Swedish translation of the third version of the self-report questionnaire FACES (Family Adaptability and Cohesion, Evaluation Scales). Most of the 55 families in group A and most of the 49 families in group B appeared to be well balanced with regard to cohesion and adaptability. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups concerning the variable cohesion. Significant differences were found in adaptability: fathers in group A had higher values than mothers in group A and than mothers and fathers in group B. CONCLUSION: There are no major differences between families with children of normal stature and those with short children. However, it was found that fathers with children of normal stature perceived a greater adaptation within their families compared with mothers with children of normal stature and mothers and fathers with children of short stature.     

Terbutaline in children with asthma

A double-blind, single-dose trial was carried out on 30 asthmatic children to study the effect of oral terbutaline in two different concentrations and of a placebo on ventilatory function and pulse rate. The higher dose of terbutaline (0·075 mg/kg) gave a satisfactory and prolonged action on ventilation without cardiovascular side effects.     

Malignancies in families of children with cancer

We examined the frequency and kind of cancer in families with a child having a neoplasm at the Universit?tskinderklinik Homburg/Saar, at the Universit?tskinderklinik Freiburg and at the Institut für Medizinische Statistik und Dokumentation der Johannes Gutenberg-Universit?t Mainz. The following could be shown: 1. There is no difference in the distribution of various kinds of cancer in children, whether they have relatives with cancer or not. 2. It is necessary to examine the family history repeatedly to obtain an accurate documentation of familial cancer. 3. Cancer in familial members did occur in a third of all families on an average. 4. Independently of the diagnosis of the child, in most families only one additional family member did have cancer. 5. The majority of relatives with cancer are grandparents. 6. Cancer of the lung and of the breast are the most frequent kinds of neoplasms occurring in family members. 7. Comparing the most frequent kinds of neoplasms in family members in this study with the distribution of cancer in adults, it is obviously, that there is a higher percentage of leukemia and brain tumors in relatives of children with cancer than is expected. 8. Typical tumor constellations can be found in affected families like breast cancer and soft tissue sarcomas.     

Sino-bronchial syndrome in children with asthma

Thirty children in the age group of 2 to 12 years were brought with a history of recurrent non-seasonal moderate to severe wheezy episodes associated with symptoms of nasal congestion, sneezing and occasional headache. All of them had maxillary or pan sinusitis with 26 having associated right, left or bilateral lower lobe pneumonitis or bronchiectasis. Serum immunoglobulins were normal in 22 and was not done in eight. There was positive (2 to 4+ above negative control) skin test response to dust and dust mite in 15 of the 22 children tested. Throat swabs/sputum or nasal secretions grew B-hemolytic streptococcus or streptococcus pneumoniae in twenty-seven. All the children were put on bactericidal drugs for 6 to 8 weeks and bronchodilators were used when needed. At the end of 6 to 8 weeks follow-up X-ray of sinuses and chest showed significant clearing of the lesions which coincided with marked clinical improvement. Sinus X-ray should be considered in bronchial asthma resistant to medical management since untreated bacterial sinusitis can be an underlying cause of chronic poorly controlled asthma.     

Medication compliance in children with asthma

A questionnaire to assess compliance with prescribed therapy was completed by 200 children with asthma. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed objectively by measuring plasma theophylline concentrations in 37 subjects and by weighing metered dose aerosol canisters before and after use in 19 subjects. The average compliance was 67.9%. The close agreement between answers to the questionnaire and the objective measurements of compliance indicated that most participants recalled the drug regimens accurately. Good compliance was related to whether Australia was the parents' country of origin, to knowledge of the disorder and to comprehension of medication but was not related to perception of the severity of the illness. This study demonstrates that compliance is relatively poor even in a clinic population which attends regularly and appears well-motivated.     

Inhalation therapy in children with asthma

Current consensus guidelines advocate the use of inhalation therapy for all children with asthma. In this paper, the published evidence on technical and practical aspects of inhalation therapy in children with asthma is reviewed. For children under 6 yr of age, nebulizers and metered dose inhaler (MDI)/spacer combinations can be used. Nebulizers are cumbersome, bulky, and difficult to operate. They require technical and hygienic maintenance. A number of studies has shown that nebulizers are no more effective in delivering bronchodilator therapy than MDI/spacer combinations. Thus, for young children with asthma, MDI/spacer combinations are the device of choice for inhalation therapy. Due to static charge, the output from plastic spacers is lower than that from metal spacers. Static charge on plastic spacers can be reduced by washing the spacer in detergent and allow it to drip dry. Most children aged 6 yr or over can use a dry powder inhaler (DPI) reliably. Modern DPIs require relatively low inspiratory flow rates for proper operation. Lung deposition from the Turbuhaler is twice as high as that from the Diskus, but the former device is slightly more difficult to operate than the latter. Many children with asthma have a poor inhalation technique. Because a reliable inhalation technique is the key to successful inhalation therapy, inhalation technique should be instructed carefully and checked repeatedly in every asthmatic child using an inhaler device.