Intermountain Children's Health has launched a new pediatric asthma initiative across Utah designed to provide children with more timely, consistent, and evidence-based care. The program aims to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and transfers by standardizing treatment protocols, potentially preventing one-fourth of asthma-related hospital admissions for children.
Standardized Care and Early Intervention
The initiative focuses on early treatment for children experiencing moderate to severe asthma attacks. By administering critical medications, such as oral steroids and breathing treatments like albuterol, as early as possible, caregivers aim to open airways and reduce inflammation before a hospitalization becomes necessary.
In Intermountain Health emergency departments, approximately 70% of children with asthma now receive steroids within 60 minutes of arrival. In urgent care and KidsCare clinics, the initiative has seen more than 80% of children receive a steroid before other treatments are started. This approach is intended to give steroids more time to work and may help reduce vomiting after treatment, which can prevent a child from needing a transfer to an emergency department or hospital for admission.
Expanding Standards of Care
The new care model builds upon proven practices at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital, where previous changes in emergency medicine treatment helped avoid approximately one in four hospitalizations for children with asthma. Intermountain Children's Health caregivers are now working to expand this same standard of care across other emergency departments, urgent care clinics, and KidsCare clinics throughout Utah.
Angelene Hunt, the pediatric acute care clinical program manager for Intermountain Children's Health, stated that the biggest benefit is that children across the state of Utah can now receive the same high standard of care in any Intermountain Health emergency department, urgent care clinic, or KidsCare location that they would receive at Primary Children's Hospital.
First Responder Partnerships
The initiative also extends medical intervention beyond hospital walls through partnerships with local first responders. Intermountain Health has partnered with South Davis Metro Fire to allow children to receive medications, such as oral steroids and effective breathing treatments, before they even arrive at the emergency department.
Dr. Mike Johnson, a pediatrician in the emergency department at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital and an asthma care advocate, noted that acting quickly allows caregivers to stabilize symptoms sooner and prevent escalations that take a child far from home. He emphasized the importance of giving caregivers every tool needed to start treatment when it can have the greatest impact.
Future Expansion and Specialized Care
The scope of the initiative is expected to grow as Intermountain Health plans to expand the approach across its multi-state service area. This expansion aims to ensure more children have access to timely, evidence-based care close to home.
Currently, Intermountain Children's Health provides a wide range of pediatric services, including primary care, specialty care, and behavioral health. Primary Children's Hospital, which has served Mountain West communities for over 100 years, is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's best children's hospitals in 11 of 11 pediatric specialties.
The Nature of Asthma Attacks
Understanding the mechanics of asthma is critical for managing the condition. During an asthma attack, the lining of the airways (bronchial tubes) becomes inflamed and swollen, the muscles around the airway tighten, and excess mucus is produced. These factors make breathing difficult and can lead to emergency situations if not treated promptly.
Common triggers for asthma attacks vary by individual but include secondhand smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, smoke, pests such as cockroaches or mice, pets, mold, pollen, strong fragrances, household cleaning chemicals, strenuous exercise, hyperventilation, and stress. Because there is no cure for asthma, management through medication and trigger avoidance is essential.
Asthma Trends and Risk Factors
Asthma prevalence and risk factors are significant health considerations in Utah. According to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services through the Utah Environmental Public Health Tracking web portal, Utah had a higher adult asthma prevalence rate in 2020 compared to the national average, reporting 10.8% versus 9.3%.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that several factors influence asthma risk. Males are more likely to have asthma in children, while females are more likely to have it as adults. Demographic data indicates that Black children are twice as likely to have asthma than White children. Other risk factors include education levels, income—with those earning below $75,000 per year being more likely to have asthma—and lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity.
Related Respiratory Conditions
In addition to asthma, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services also tracks Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is a progressive lung disease group, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that causes reduced airflow and makes breathing difficult. Like asthma, COPD has no cure, but can be managed through medicine, surgery, and oxygen therapy.
Key risk factors for COPD include smoking—the greatest risk factor—and secondhand smoke. Other factors include asthma, genetics, and workplace exposure to chemicals or dust. Early diagnosis is critical for COPD to allow treatment to begin before the disease progresses and causes major long-term disability.
