CPR Blitzkrieg: Training 500 High School Students in less than 48 hours.

BACKGROUND Many states, including Arkansas, require CPR training before high school graduation. METHODS We modified the American Heart Association's CPR in Schools curriculum to deliver CPR and AED training with maximal individual practice. RESULTS 520 students were trained over a two-day period at Little Rock Central High School. Three students were unable to effectively participate due to physical limitations. The model was later applied at the five other district public high schools. CONCLUSIONS Training large numbers of students in a time-compressed formal is feasible with a highly dedicated, practiced instructor team. This model may be applicable to workplace settings.

School-based asthma case finding: the Arkansas experience.

This population-based case-finding study sought to determine asthma prevalence and characterize disease severity and burden among school-aged children in the Little Rock School District. Asthma cases were identified by validated algorithm and parental report of asthma diagnosis. The overall response rate was low. Among schools with greater than 50% response rate, prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was comparable to other studies in public school settings. Prevalence of symptoms in cases identified as current is suggestive of poor asthma control. Improved systems for case identification of children with asthma are needed in schools. Efforts should focus on strategies to improve asthma control.

Symptom profile and asthma control in school-aged children.

BACKGROUND: Children with poorly controlled asthma are at high risk of airway remodeling, sleep disruption, school absenteeism, and limited participation in activities. OBJECTIVE: To determine asthma prevalence and characterize disease severity and burden in school-aged children. METHOD: A case-finding study was conducted via a multiple-choice questionnaire and asthma algorithm. Items used for analysis include physician diagnosis of asthma, symptom severity, and health care utilization. The chi2 test was used to determine the significance of differences among cases. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of patient factors and asthma indicators. RESULTS: Of the 5,417 children surveyed, 1,341 (25%) were classified as being at risk of asthma. Of these asthma cases, 55% were positive by diagnosis and algorithm (active), 10% were positive per algorithm alone (suspected), and 35% were positive per diagnosis alone (nonactive). Only 14% of all asthma cases reported experiencing no respiratory symptoms (< 1% active, 2% suspected, and 40% nonactive) compared with 75% of noncases. Also, 75% of noncases reported never missing school compared with 19%, 33%, and 54% of active, suspected, and nonactive asthma cases. African American race, Medicaid enrollment, and male sex were independent predictors of asthma risk. Similarly, African American race, Medicaid enrollment, age, and persistent asthma were independent predictors of emergency department use among asthma cases. DISCUSSION: Prevalence of active symptoms suggestive of poor asthma control was extremely high among urban, minority children enrolled in Arkansas' largest public school district. Poor asthma control greatly affects quality of life, including school attendance and performance. Interventions should raise expectations and emphasize the importance of achieving asthma control.

Arkansas school nurses' role in statewide assessment of body mass index to screen for overweight children and adolescents.

National surveys that have tracked weight and physical activity in the United States for more than 40 years have shown a continuing increase in the number of overweight children and adolescents. Overweight children and adolescents are showing an increase in diseases related to overweight: Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and orthopedic and respiratory conditions. Overweight children are also likely to become obese adults. This article describes Arkansas's efforts to connect with families through schools to prevent or reduce overweight in children. Arkansas school nurses measured the heights and weights of more than 400,000 public school students during the 2003-2004 school year. A detailed protocol for accurate measurement of students is provided.