As the 2010 school year gets underway, the National Asthma Council Australia is warning parents, teachers and health professionals to prepare for a corresponding spike in asthma emergencies.

According to National Asthma Council Australia chairman, general practitioner Dr Noela Whitby AM, the ‘February Epidemic' is a well documented phenomenon that will hit in a couple of weeks.

She said: "Every year we experience a big asthma spike in both school and pre-school aged children immediately after school goes back, with the peak generally occurring in mid to late February."

Australian research, conducted in Sydney from 1994 to 2000¹, found that the increased risk of hospitalisation for asthma in February was threefold in children aged five to 14 years and double in pre-schoolers, with the peak occurring three and a half weeks into the new school year.

Increased risks were also recorded at the start of each subsequent school term; however the ‘February Epidemic' is by far the most significant.

"Returning to school is strongly associated with increased asthma symptoms in children and increased hospitalisation, especially following the summer break, a trend that is common in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres," Dr Whitby said.

She attributes the back to school asthma spike to increased exposure to respiratory viruses, predominately rhinovirus - the same virus that triggers the common cold - and also a relaxing of the asthma management regimen over the summer.

To minimise the impact of this year's back to school asthma spike, the National Asthma Council Australia is urging parents to make sure that their child has an up-to-date written asthma action plan, prepared by their general practitioner, and to ensure that their school or pre-school has a copy.

"It's important that preventer medications are taken, when prescribed, and that children and carers are familiar with their reliever medication and know how to use it correctly," Dr Whitby advised.

"The February asthma epidemic will happen, but preventative measures can be taken during the first few weeks of school to help keep children with asthma out of hospital," she said.

Reference

1. Lincoln D, Morgan g, Sheppeard V, Jalaludin B, Corbett S, Beard J.  Childhood asthma and return to school in Sydney, Australia. Public Health (2006) 120, 854-862.

For further information or to arrange an interview with a National Asthma Council Australia spokesperson, please contact:

Kelly Ward:

Ward Communications Pty Ltd;
Tel. 03 9744 1855
Mob. 0407 860 834
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