OBJECTIVES: To understand the meaning of asthma and its implications in daily life of children with acute asthma and their family in school settings. METHODS: A qualitative case study with 3 children from a pediatric outpatient clinic of a hospital in the municipal district of São Paulo. Data were collected through participant observation, interviews, and therapeutic play. RESULTS: Treatment demands and frequency of asthma crisis affected the daily life of the children in school settings: missing classes, decreased opportunity to learn, restrictions on type of plays, and conflicting interactions with the other children. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: There is need for health care providers and teachers to work together in order to guarantee those children formal education and quality social interactions.
Hospitals,teaching; Asthma; Pediatric nursing; Play and playthings