title: Living on the edge of asthma: A grounded theory exploration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for asthma are preventable. Our purpose was to develop a grounded theory to guide interventions to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and ED visits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grounded theory inquiry guided interviews of 20 participants, including 13 parents and 7 children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Living on the edge of asthma was the emergent theory. Categories included: balancing, losing control, seeking control, and transforming.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The theory provides the means for nurses to understand the dynamic process that families undergo in trying to prevent and then deal with and learn from an acute asthma attack requiring hospitalization or an ED visit.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Michele R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oneal
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
keywords: Acute; asthma; children; education; emergency department; hospitalization