Effectiveness of Air Purifiers in the Prevention and Control of Asthma Exacerbation in Elementary School Children
Ijeoma Anyanwu
Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation
College: The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major: Nursing (MSN)
Faculty Research Mentor: Elsie Rivera
Abstract:
Title: Effectiveness of Air Purifiers in the Prevention and Control of Asthma Exacerbation in Elementary School Children.Author: Ijeoma Anyanwu, B.S.Ed, BSN, Elsie Rivera, DNP, APN, FNP-CDepartment of Nursing, Kean UniversityAbstract:Background: School children spend most of their time during the school day in their classrooms, making it a crucial location for intervention for students with asthma to prevent asthma exacerbation. The purpose of this review is to identify and assess the effectiveness of using air purifiers inside classrooms and asthma inhalers during school hours for control of asthma exacerbations among elementary school children compared to using asthma inhalers alone.Methods: The literature studies reviewed were retrieved from searches on Cochrane databases, MEDLINE, PubMed, PMC free articles, National Institute of Health (NIH), EBSCOhost, and National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Due to the unavailability of sufficient relevant literature within the past 10 years, the literature search was for literature published from 2011 to 2024. The criteria used for selecting relevant literature was Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt’s defined levels of evidence and hierarchy.Results: Out of the 15 identified literature, 9 found relevant and focused on the use of air purifiers and/or asthma inhalers for control of asthma exacerbation among children were critically appraised. None of the literature was on comparison in the use of the two treatment approaches.Conclusion: Published literature exists on the use of air purifiers and/or asthma inhalers for the control of asthma exacerbations among school children, especially since the emergence of COVID-19, in different settings. Future studies are recommended on the comparison of the treatment approaches among school children with asthma of different age groups, in schools at different geographical environmental locations, and during different seasons of the year for clarity on their effectiveness.Keywords:Asthma, Air purifiers, Asthma exacerbation, School children with asthma, Asthma interventions in elementary schools.