What do nurses and residents know about childhood asthma?
OBJECTIVE
To assess residents' and pediatric nurses' basic knowledge of childhood asthma and to identify areas needing educational reinforcement.


METHODS
Survey using a validated self-administered questionnaire containing 25 true-false and six short open-ended questions.


METHODS
Pediatric residents and family medicine residents who were on rotation at a tertiary care pediatric hospital over a six-month period, and pediatric nurses on duty in the emergency department, on the wards and on the pediatric intensive care unit over a month period.


RESULTS
The participation rate was 80% (28 of 35) of pediatric residents, 89% (33 of 37) of family medicine residents, and 50% (81 of 163) of pediatric nurses. The mean score (+/- standard deviation) on the 31-point questionnaire was 27.7+/-1.8 for pediatric residents, 25.5+/-3.6 for family medicine residents, and 22.3+/-3.8 for pediatric nurses (ANOVA, P<0.001). Most (at least 75%) participants correctly identified bronchospasm and airway inflammation as two potential mechanisms of asthma and were able to list three routinely used drugs to treat exacerbations. However, 32% of pediatric residents, 12% of family medicine residents and 72% of pediatric nurses failed to identify all three main symptoms of asthma (wheezing, cough, dyspnea). Although most participants recognized that children with frequent exacerbations should receive prophylactic therapy, 25% of pediatric residents, 52% of family medicine residents and 81% of pediatric nurses were unable to name at least two preventive asthma medications. More than 50% of participants could not name two drugs used in the prevention of exercise-induced asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
Residents and nurses had adequate basic knowledge of the treatment of acute exacerbations. However, most individuals needed reinforcement in preventive asthma therapy and daily management.
Lemay
J F
JF
The Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Canada.
Moore
S I
SI
Zegray
M
M
Ducharme
F M
FM
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires