Clare Y
El is Clare’s oldest child and was diagnosed with asthma when she was aged four. El also has hay fever and eczema and Clare believes that all these conditions are interlinked. Her first flu episode was the worse as she developed a chest infection and required antibiotics. Clare manages the episodes through close monitoring of the symptoms, giving over the counter medication and getting advice from the GP and nurses at her surgery, if necessary.
Clare explains that El’s diagnosis was slow to come, as asthma can be difficult to diagnose in young children. At age four El was diagnosed with asthma but given the preventor inhaler only to use twice a day. These days she uses the preventor and the Salbutamol as and when she needs it.
The first time El became ill with flu she was very poorly, staying in bed for about a week and with all the flu symptoms in a very severe form, such as very high temperature, lethargy, very wheezy, not eating or drinking. Initially, Clare thought it was a bad case of cold but as her symptoms didn’t lessen, she took El to the GP and she was diagnosed with a secondary infection; chest infection. She was prescribed antibiotics and within a few days her symptoms improved and she went back to be her bouncy self.
After her first episode of flu and her asthma diagnosis, El has been vaccinated against the flu every year. She has had other episodes, but those have been less severe than the first one. But in general, and in comparison to other children, Clare explains that El’s symptoms last longer and that it takes her longer to make a full recovery. Clare manages the flu episodes through close monitoring of the symptoms, giving over the counter medication and making sure she is hydrated. If necessary, she would seek advice from her health surgery including her GP and asthma nurse. El knows how to manage her asthma and when to increase her medication.
Clare thinks highly of her GP practice and she knows they don’t like to give out antibiotics unnecessarily. In her experience, her daughter has been well assessed and examined and health professional are very good at communicating with parents and going through the options and explaining their reasons for not prescribing. Clare trusts their clinical decision and she knows that if they prescribed antibiotics is because they are warranted. Clare does not like to give her children antibiotics except, when they need them like when they have a bacterial infection.
On two occasions Clare got a prescription for antibiotics from her GP as a precaution but was told to monitor the symptoms first, and if there was not improvement to use them. She agrees with this approach because it put parents on a decision making role regarding their child’s treatment.