MedBank Program
City health chief warns of asthma risks
Eliminating Asthma Triggers in the DayCare Environment
WHAT DOES MEDBANK DO?
MEDBANK works with over 100 drugcompanies. These drug companies give many of the drugs they make away at nocharge (a few have a very small charge of $5) to patientswho are below a certain income level. The application and income level isdifferent for each company. These drug companies require proof of the patient?sincome be attached to all applications. MEDBANK is a non-profit organizationthat gathers all the required information from the patient and his or herdoctor, completes the applications and sends them to the drug companies forapproval.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
If the drug company approves thepatient, in most cases they send a three-month supply of drugs directly tohis/her doctor?s office. The patient picks up his/her medicine at the doctor?soffice.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE I RECEIVE MEDICINES?
From the time MEDBANK receives all ofthe patient?s paperwork, it will take 4-6 weeks before he/she receivesmedicines. After applications are completed and sent to the drug companies, ittakes the drug companies approximately 4 weeks to review the applications andmail the medicines to the doctor?s office. MEDBANK has just opened a pharmacythat stocks a limited supply of medications from several major drug companies.If a patient is taking a medicine that is made by one of these companies,MEDBANK will mail that medicine directly to the patient?s home in 5-7 working days. MEDBANK will be adding medications frommore drug companies in the near future.
AFTER A PATIENT RECEIVES HIS/HER DRUGS, HOW DOES HE/SHE GET A SECOND SUPPLY?
When a patient picks up a medicinefrom his/her doctor?s office it is very important that he/she call MEDBANK (410821-9262) and report the name of the medicine, the date it was received and howmany monthly supply was received. Every three months a new application must besent to the drug company in order for the patient to receive anotherthree-month supply of medicines. MEDBANK will automatically completeapplications every three months if the patient has called and reported thatthey received medicines. If a patient does not call, MEDBANK will not knowwhen to redo the application and the patient will not receive more drugs.
Box 42678 Baltimore, MD 2/284 telephone 410.821.9262 fax 410.821.9265 www.medbankmd.org
Deaths of five children since May spur outreach, education about triggers
By David Kohn
Sun Staff
July 30, 2003
Concerned that five city children have died from asthma-related causes since May, Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Peter L. Beilenson made an appeal yesterday to parents to reduce disease risks, particularly mold, which may be thriving because of the wet weather.
Health Department officials said that asthma seems to be worse this year, afflicting more children, and with more severe symptoms, than in recent years. “In the last six months it’s gotten worse,” said Mary Jo Harris, who runs the city’s childhood asthma program, which tracks hospital visits by vulnerable children.
More than 11,000 Baltimore children have asthma, a chronic disease that inflames the lungs and impedes breathing. Before May, only one city child had died of asthma-related causes since the beginning of 2001.
Health officials don’t know what caused the rise in deaths this year – it may simply be a tragic coincidence, Beilenson said. But the spike concerns officials, and they are reviewing the cases to see if there are any common factors. “It’s significant that [these cases] are happening all of a sudden,” Harris said.
So far, they have not found any shared causes. The children who died were of different ages and lived in different neighborhoods, Harris said.
Speaking at an afternoon news conference, Beilenson warned that mold, which can grow in wet basements, under damp carpets or near dripping pipes, can trigger asthma. “The key to mold control is moisture control,” he said.
To get rid of mold, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends scrubbing mold off hard surfaces, fixing leaky plumbing, cleaning dehumidifiers, and ventilating rooms while cooking, showering, and using the dishwasher. If mold is growing on ceiling tiles or carpets, those items might have to be replaced.
Key triggers
Although they have no proof so far that increased mold is causing more asthma cases, city health officials suspect that it might play a role.
Asthma is caused by many different factors: In addition to mold, other suspected triggers include smog, pollen, poor ventilation, infestations of mice and roaches, exposure to cigarette smoke and dust mites.
“Mold definitely plays a big role,” said Dr. Sudhir Sekhsaria, medical director of the Asthma, Allergy & Sinus Center at Union Memorial Hospital.
The mold problem could get worse, Sekhsaria said: August and September are the peak months for outdoor mold. (Because indoor temperatures remain fairly constant, indoor mold tends to thrive year-round.)
Sekhsaria added that he has not seen any increase in asthma cases during the past six months.
Preventable aspects
Beilenson emphasized that serious asthma attacks often are preventable.
Each of the recent deaths had “some preventable aspects,” he said. In one case, the child didn’t use the inhaler correctly; in another, caregivers didn’t recognize what factors were most likely to set off an attack.
He advised parents of children with asthma to see a doctor regularly.
‘Hygiene hypothesis’
Last year, 28 Baltimore adults died from asthma-related causes. So far this year, seven have succumbed. On average, Beilenson said, about 20 to 30 city adults die every year of causes linked to the disease.
While experts generally agree that incidence of asthma is growing nationally – asthma cases and asthma-related deaths have both almost doubled over the past two decades – no one is sure why.
One recent theory – the “hygiene hypothesis” – argues that because modern and suburban residents are exposed to fewer allergens than in past generations, they are more likely to suffer from allergies and asthma.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Baltimore Sun
As reprinted from a Baltimore Sun Article July 30 2003
Eliminating Asthma Triggers in the DayCare Environment
By: Michele Hauer
Director of Educationand Programs
Asthma and AllergyFoundation of America
Maryland-GreaterWashington, D.C. Chapter
As the fall approaches and the children are going back to daycare, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Maryland-GreaterWashington, D.C. chapter has tips on decreasing possible asthma triggers inyour day care center.
- Dust mites ? Bedding should be washed in hot water once a week. Encase mattresses and pillows with airtight covers. Wipe all surfaces with a damp cloth. Vacuum regularly, and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Make sure to change the filter in the air-conditioning or heating unit regularly. Also, maintain an indoor humidity of less than 50 percent. You may need to use a dehumidifier.
- Indoor molds ? Check your indoor environment to find and remove mold growth. Molds can be found on walls, floors, window moldings, ceilings, and under carpet. Mold is black, brown, or reddish in color. To eliminate indoor molds, clean with ? cup of bleach to one gallon of water.
- Outdoor molds ? Remove mold growth around the outside of your child care center. This includes cleaning up wet leaves, garden debris, etc. where mold can grow.
- Pollen ? Check daily pollen counts. On high pollen days, limit the time the children are outdoors and leave windows closed during the early and late morning hours when pollen is at its highest. Also, avoid the outdoors when the humidity is high and wind is blowing. For pollen counts, go to www.aafa-md.org
- Cockroaches ? Repair cracks in foundation, walls, windows, and plumbing. If necessary, have center exterminated. Do out expose the children to the area immediately after extermination.