Kids w/asthma ?

[jenfur]

My husband's ex wife just called him tonight (sunday) and told him that Friday my stepson (9) had an asthma attack and he has been on oxygen and taking breathing treatments as well since then. His blood oxygen level was down to 84% and is now at 94%. He goes back to the doctor Tuesday. My question, is this normal for kids with asthma? He has NEVER had an asthma attack before. He is very very active, he has played various sports at school and never had any problems whatsoever. He does get mild allergies but even then he only has a few sniffles and coughs. My husband will probably go with him to the doctor - is this normal for asthma or should he ask the doctor to look into it further?

 

[Rajah]

I'd ask the doctor to look into it more, just to be safe.

 

[KimRaye]

Of course he should ask further! Asthma is very serious.

I have an adult cousin with asthma and, he was very active also as a kid, football, etc and, he used an inhaler, ALL the time. He's a Chicago policeman now but, he still has asthma. So does his Dad and, severe allergic reactions as well!

Definately ask more about your step son. {{HUGS}}

 

[janette]

It is normal for them to be hospitalized if their oxygen levels arent' high enough. You and your DH would want to be educated so you can know what to look for. The treatment sounds about right. If he has a nebulizer (breathing machine) it is the most effective way to do the meds so it is usually recommended if they aren't doing very well.

I don't think anyone would pick my 8yo DD out of a crowd as asthmatic. Has always looked very heathy and is but at times still needs asthma meds.

 

[bumcat]

I have 3 kids with asthma. It can strike at any time. Some people go thru life with very little problems and then later start having attacks.
My oldest never had a problem with asthma until she was in 4th grade. My other daughter didn't have problems until she was in 6th grade. My son was born with asthma and had attacks as an infant. I have also known people that didn't have an attack until they were an adult.
It is possible that he has always had a mild case of asthma but never a serious attack.
You need to make sure that anyone that cares for him understands that this is very serious.
We have had to educate alot of teachers thru the years. Been thru hell and back with teachers not understanding asthma.

 

[Teejay32]

We had the same thing happen here with my 5-year-old as soon as she started school. Her trigger is a cold or virus that affects her lungs, which can be compounded due to normal allergies in certain ways...but otherwise without the prior illness of some sort she doesn't have those episodes.

If her oxygen level goes below 92% or so (it has twice) and they can't improve the situation in the ER with nebulizer treatments then she is admitted. I've not seen 84% yet - sounds very scary, and something to keep a close eye on, definitely.

 

[fklhou]

Asthma is extremely serious. My brother and sister have it as well as my wife and one daughter. We have a nebulizer at home that we have to use from time to time. Your ex needs to look into the area and talk to the doctor. That sounds like a very seriious attack.

 

[Christine]

Not unusual for this to happen at all.

My son probably started with asthma when he was 3-4 y/o. When he was about 5, the pediatrician finally used the word "asthma" with me. Even then, he just had some wheezing and I was given the albuterol inhalers. I was not really educated about it and no one treated it like it was a big deal. Then, I put my son in a new daycare. The woman had a lot of animals and my son's wheezing and "allergies" became worse. Now, we have two dogs ourselves that don't seem to bother my son at all. He's also been tested for cat/dog dander and was negative. However, this woman was a breeder and I guess just the sheer amount of dander in her house was too much for him. After 3 months of chronic lung inflammation, he got a cold. Three days later he was in the ER with an oxygen level of about 88% and we could not resolve it. He spent 5 days in the hospital. Since then, we started going to a pediatric lung specialist (my son is now 8). They have educated us thoroughly and armed us with an arsenal of preventive meds (Flovent, Singulair, etc). It has been rough but we've really got him under control. If they haven't been treating your stepson's asthma aggressively enough, this could have very well been the kicker for the attack--especially since the pollen counts are outrageous just about everywhere. Have your husband get very educated and get the child medicated so that this doesn't happen again. Your stepson's oxygen level was VERY bad--that definitely was a bad attack.
Christine

 

[MerryPoppins]

We all have some asthma problems at our house. Peak flow meters really helped us keep things under control with regard to the kids. You learn how to huff into the contraption and chart the numbers. If the numbers start to drop you can see a problem developing and take medication. None of us have ever been bad enough to go on regular medicines. We just keep stuff on hand for episodes when they arise.

I recommend a home nebulizer. It's much better than inhalers and it can save you some trips to the ER. (Well, not a guarantee, but there have been many nights that we would have had to go if we hadn't had a machine)

Our doctor suggested reading Children With Asthma: A Manual for Parents by Thomas F. Plaut. It really helped me and I suggested it to many other parents when I worked with preschoolers. I think you can get it at Amazon.com if you can't find it at a local bookstore. It is very straightforward and teaches you to keep asthma under control instead of trying to recover from each out-of-control episode. I found it reassuring that I could usually take charge and handle the situation before it got bad.

 

[mom2boys]

JenFur
Definitely find out all you can about asthma & DSS's condition & triggers. Not to scare you, but people can and do die from asthma attacks.