The Red Alert Program for life-threatening asthma

Abstract

Objective: To design a program to prevent death in children with life-threatening asthma.

Methods: Using published guidelines to identify patients with life-threatening asthma, we developed a comprehensive medical network involving emergency medical services, school workers, extended family members, local physicians, emergency rooms, and a referral center. The network was designed to provide early, aggressive medical attention and rapid access to care for patients enrolled in the program.

Results: In 8 years of operation, 75 patients have been enrolled. There have been 270 hospitalizations, with life-threatening asthma occurring in 25 admissions in 15 patients. Three patients have died; of these, two did not use the services provided by the program.

Conclusions: The Red Alert Program has been successful in assuring more aggressive and timely intervention for asthma attacks and seems to have prevented deaths. Patients and their families express a high degree of satisfaction with the services. The Red Alert Program may serve as a model for other programs for children with life-threatening asthma.