ALLERGIC DISEASES IN CHILDREN: DRUGS AND ALLERGIC ASTHMA
Drug management of asthma plays an important role because it provides quick results and permits a desensitization program to work. The drugs used must be simple and have no side effects. Adrenalin, ephedrine, isoproterenol (otherwise called iso), theophylline, and its derivative aminophylline, are all used.
Adrenalin is derived from the suprarenal gland. It is the master drug for acute asthma attacks because it acts quickly, which may be life saving. The parents of an asthmatic child should know how to give an adrenalin injection: use a disposable syringe and needle; wipe an area of the outer part of one arm of the child and the top of the adrenalin vial with alcohol; draw the required amount of adrenalin from the bottle and push out the extra air; go through the skin at an angle of forty-five degrees; gently draw back on the plunger, and, if no blood is drawn, inject the adrenalin. If any blood is drawn, withdraw the needle and use a different area for the injection. l0cc. vial of adrenalin 1:1000 should be kept ready, in the dark, and in a refrigerator. A doctor's prescription is necessary for the adrenalin and the disposable syringe.
Isoproterenol (iso) is a chemical which acts like adrenalin. It comes in a tablet form which is to be put under the tongue (where it dissolves and is quickly absorbed) or as syrup.
Ephedrine is a plant of Chinese origin that acts like a weak form of adrenalin. It does not stop attacks, but it may help in moderate asthma if used for long periods of time.
Theophylline and its derivative aminophylline are very effective bronchodilators which can be given orally, intravenously, or rectally. Intravenously, they should be pushed slowly into the system over a ten-minute period. Rectally, they may be given as an enema or as a suppository containing 250 mg. of theophylline (which is an average child dosage). All theophylline preparations are inherently long acting and should be given at eight-hour intervals instead of the usual three hours allotted for adrenalin.
Other helpful drugs used in asthma include the following:
Steroids: Potent anti-allergy drugs derived from two endocrine glands - the pituitary and the adrenal. They can be used for short periods of time only because of their potential hazards: masking infections; increasing fatality rate during surgery; softening the bones; and causing stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, sugar in the urine (not true diabetes), hirsuteness (increase in the growth of hair), increased appetite, an unusual fat distribution in the face (which becomes round and moonlike), depression, and temporary suppression of the natural growth of the bones of a child. All these ill effects disappear when the hormones are discontinued, provided they have been used in small amounts and for a short period of time.
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