Take your Asthma health more seriously!

Asthma health needs to be taken seriously, so says, Dr. Babatunde Oredein, Senior Registrar, Emergency Medicine, QEH.

During the launch of the ICBL Family Fun Walk & Run at the ICBL headquarters, he stated, “In the Accident and Emergency department of QEH 20 to 25 per cent of patient visits annually are from Asthma-related complaints, we have a dedicated Asthma Bay where we attend to those patients, which functions as a fast-track service for the asthma related conditions, fortunately less than five per cent of those patients are admitted.”

It was further revealed that, “Unfortunately, we still occasionally have recorded Asthma related deaths. It is important to know that the significant cause is due to non-compliance to Asthma medication or incorrect use of the metered dose inhalers. It has been estimated that two out of three Asthmatics who have been prescribed controlled medication do not take it, studies have also shown that oftentimes medication is not on hand when needed and many asthmatics also worry about possible side effects of long-term medication use.”

These challenges demonstrate the need for continuous and more aggressive asthmatic education with the aim to improve and maintain good asthma control with reduced asthma attacks, reduce presentation to the hospital and therefore reduce absenteeism from school or work.

The QEH Asthma Bay is one of the beneficiaries of the ICBL Family Fun Walk & Run and Dr. Oredein indicated monies raises last year were used to sponsor six nurses in asthma education and in other areas to improve the Asthma Bay.

The QEH official highlighted, “We have started an in-house public education programme and the patients as they come in will also get refresher tips and asthma advice, while receiving their treatment.”

“I expressed gratitude to ICBL who have embraced us once again as a worthy cause for us, we are happy to note that this year we would be using the monies collected to provide the continued supply of mouthpieces and other items for uninterrupted service in the Asthma bay …we also intend this year to upgrade the physical layout, so the patient experience can also be improved.” (NB)