Asthma Care
Northpoint Asthma Care appointments focus on the diagnosis and management of our patients with asthma. We will work in partnership with you and your family to provide education regarding asthma and help your child minimize symptoms and maintain normal participation in activities of daily life.
Your child will be seeing Kim Hatchett, CFNP. Kim has a very special interest and is experienced in educating and treating patients and families with asthma. Kim will develop a diagnosis and treatment plan individualized to your child based on symptoms, history and test results. You will receive educational handouts, counseling on medications and a comprehensive medication plan. During your appointment we may perform Spirometry (Test measuring lung function) and/or Peak flow – Is a device that measures how well air moves out of your lungs.
Please bring the following list of things with you to your asthma appointment.
- All of your child’s medications
- List of questions you may have
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Any peak flow meter or logs you may have
Follow up visits:
Kim will recommend a follow up schedule to be determined based on you child’s symptoms and response to treatment. Generally, this will be 3 times per year, but may be more or less depending on the individual. At these visits we will review and adjust medications as necessary, review symptoms of asthma or flare ups, review peak flow logs and repeat any testing to determine medication effectiveness.
Does Your Child Have Symptoms of Asthma?
Undiagnosed or undertreated asthma can cause long-term lung problems for your child.
- When your child has a cold does it often go to their chest or take more than 10 days to clear up?
- Does your child cough or wheeze more than a couple times a week?
- Does your child cough in their sleep more than a couple times a month?
- Does your child cough or wheeze during or after exercise?
- Is your child missing school frequently because of problems like coughing or wheezing?
- If you have been told that your child has asthma, is rescue medication such as Xopenex or Albuterol being used more than two times per week for flare-ups of coughing or wheezing?
If you answered ‘yes’ to two or more of the questions above, as recommended by the National Institutes of Health, your child may benefit from having a medical evaluation.
