Hospital in Little Rock, explains that iprat- ropium is often used in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The drug causes some dilation (widening) of the larger airways in the lungs of COPD patients, and researchers have reason to believe that the drug also might be effective in opening the smaller airways involved in asthma.

Several previous studies of children with asthma treated in the emergency room found that a subset of those treat- ed with ipratropium in addition to other standard treatments tended to do better than those receiving standard treatments alone. But for most of the children test- ed, the drug didn't make a significant difference. In these studies, researchers followed children in the emergency room for four to six hours. "What we want to know," says Dr. Farrar, "is whether the drug will make a difference in children hospitalized for one to four days or even longer. Will it shorten their hospitalization, speed their time to recovery or lessen their need for other treat- ment?" Current treatments for children hospitalized with asthma include the use of oxygen therapy, bronchodilators and corti- costeroids. If ipratropium is found to bene- fit children hospitalized with asthma, it will give us another therapeutic tool, according to Dr. Farrar. This drug won't replace cur- rent treatments, but it might benefit some patients who don't respond quickly to those treatments. It may help some patients recover from the asthma episode more quickly and get out of the hospital sooner.

H e l p i n g K i d s B r e a t h e E a s i e r a t S c h o o l

It is well known that outdoor air pollution can danaage a person's health, but many people are not aware that indoor air can also be harmful. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two

to five times, and some- times more than 100 times, higher than out- door levels. Indoor air pollutants are of particu- lar concern in schools, where children spend many hours each day. Indoor air problems in schools can increase the potential for long-term and short-term health problems for students and school staff. That's why the American Lung Association is a co-spon- sor of the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools Action Kit, developed by the EPA. This kit helps schools identify air quality prob- lems and provides action

plans to improve indoor air quality at little cost using common-sense activities and in- house staff. The kit provides simple-to-fol- low checklists, background information, sample memos and policies, a recommend- ed IAQ Management Plan and a unique IAQ Problem Solving Wheel. In addition to helping ensure a healthy and productive learning environment, the guidance con- tained in the kit can also help save the school's resources by reducing absenteeism and sick days for students and staff.

For more information about IAQTools for Schools, call your local American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800- 586-4872).

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