:: Health News ::

(PRWEB) April 28, 2005 — Asthma is the most prevalent chronic condition in children. It occurs in approximately 7-10% of the pediatric population. Pediatric asthma patients (and their parents) are often reluctant to follow the prescribed regimen of controller medications. When their symptoms abate, they often cease or forget the medications.

Radical Randy™, a new MediKin™ teaching aide from Legacy Products, helps educators explain and actually show children what happens in their lungs and airways during an asthma attack. As a result, children begin taking an active role in monitoring and controlling their asthma.

Developed in collaboration with the Pediatrics Asthma Team at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Radical Randy’s chest opens to reveal a healthy lung depicted on the right and a lung with inflamed airways on the left. Randy’s lungs incorporate pockets with removable bronchioles. The bronchioles can be inflated by squeezing the bulb pump that is connected to them by plastic tubing. Air can be felt moving freely through the healthy bronchiole’s airway demonstrating the positive affect of daily controller medications. In the inflamed and swollen bronchiole, air gets blocked, demonstrating why breathing is difficult or nearly impossible during asthma flare-ups. Mucus accumulation can also be demonstrated by inserting the provided green “mucus” into the swollen bronchiole, further blocking its airway.

Radical Randy™ is constructed of soft, durable fabric with embroidered details. Standing just 3-feet tall, the MediKin™ is lightweight and portable. It is useful for home visits, one-on-one instruction, group clinics and school education programs.

A part of Legacy’s Asthma Education Program, the Radical Randy™ MediKin™ is available in either dark or neutral skin tone and comes with instructor guides in English and Spanish, a videotape demonstration class, clothing (including shirt, shorts, shoes and socks), a pair of Expression Adapters to change Randy’s facial appearance from happy to anxious, a jar of green “mucus”, a magnifying glass and a zippered carrying case.

In a series of three field trials of the Legacy Asthma Program, administered by UTMB, the teaching time for basic asthma pathophysiology was reduced from 27 minutes to as little as 13 minutes, depending on the educator’s skill. Using the Radical Randy™ MediKin™, educators quickly demonstrated the abstract concepts of airway inflammation, mucus accumulation, bronchoconstriction and their relations to symptoms and medication. The MediKin™ teaching aides also helped the instructors reduce language, emotional and learning barriers.

Radical Randy™ is part of a line of 3-D, interactive, medical teaching tools and instructional programs produced by Legacy Products, Inc. Legacy’s light-weight, fabric MediKins and interchangeable adapters, many of which accommodate actual medical equipment, are used to educate patients, caregivers and health care staff about medical conditions and treatments. For more information on Radical Randy™ or their other products, contact Legacy Products, Inc., P.O. Box 267, Cambridge City, IN 47327, www.legacyproductsinc.com