1 - Asthma Flashcards
SABA
short acting bronchodilator (beta 2 agonist)
ex. Ventolin (salbutamol)
ICS
inhaled corticosteroid
LABA
long acting bronchodilator (beta 2 agonist)
LAMA/LAAC
*equivalent
long acting muscarinic antagonist
long acting anticholinergic
SAMA/SAAC
*equivalent
short acting muscarinic antagonist
short acting anticholinergic
What are the 2 parts to the pathophysiology of asthma and how do we treat them?
1) Inflammatory processes and agents to reduce inflammation (“controllers”)
2) Bronchoconstriction and the use of bronchodilators (“relievers”)
How often should you be using a SABA (reliever) if your asthma is controlled ?
<4 times per week
What is the main therapy that every asthmatic should be on?
ICS - inhaled corticosteroid
Ventolin/SABA is a ______ for asthma
bandaid (i.e. it doesn’t fix the problem)
Is it safe to be on inhaled corticosteroids for a long time?
Yes
-inhaled corticosteroids do not give you the systemic symptoms that oral corticosteroids (e.g. prednisone)
Are asthma attacks sudden?
No. It is a buildup of triggers and then the last trigger causes the attack. (water cup analogy)
Asthma more common in adults or children?
children
Can children grow out of asthma?
Yes but not everyone does
Can you develop asthma later on in life?
Yes - usually occupational or stress-induced
How many of deaths caused by asthma can be prevented?
80%-90%
What is the most common cause of death in asthmatics?
inadequate assessment of the severity of airway obstruction by the patient or physician & inadequate therapy
Describe the clinical presentation of asthma
- Episodic wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing
- *most people have these symptoms, but not all (about 6/10)
- Intervals between symptoms can be days, weeks, months or years
- Spirometry demonstrates obstruction (decreased FEV1/FVC) with reversibility following inhaled B2 agonist (at least a 12% improvement in FEV1 AND a difference of 200 mL)
- prob an important exam Q to know that is has to be BOTH and not one or the other
What age can you do spirometry as part of asthma diagnosis?
over 6
For those under 6, have to rely on history and symptoms
If a mom/person is looking for cough syrup for a cough that has been going on for a few months, do you give it to them?
LMAO NO
a cough shouldn’t last that long so you need to refer for spirometry to determine if it’s asthma or not
If someone has asthma that is controlled with a SABA (ex. salbutamol), do they need additional therapy?
Yes - they need an ICS to help with the chronic inflammation of the airways
For asthma to be controlled:
How often should they be having daytime symptoms?
<4 days/week
For asthma to be controlled:
How often should they be having night-time symptoms?
<1 night/week
For asthma to be controlled:
Should exercise be affected?
No - should be normal
For asthma to be controlled:
How often should they be having exacerbations?
mild infrequent
For asthma to be controlled:
How often should they be having absence from work or school?
never
For asthma to be controlled:
How often should they be needing a SABA (ex. ventolin)?
<4 doses/week
NOTE: this used to exclude exercise/pre-exercise.
now this includes exercise/pre-exercise !!
For asthma to be controlled:
What FEV1 or PEF value should they have?
> 90% personal best
For asthma to be controlled:
What PEF diurnal variation should they have?
<10-15%
For asthma to be controlled:
What % of sputum eosinophils should they have?
<2-3%
What else would indicate poor asthma control?
walk-in clinic, ER, hospitalization
What is the actual % of patients with controlled asthma?
43%
If someone has very mild asthma, do they need an ICS ?
What exactly should be their treatment?
Not necessarily - they do need an SABA or ICS/LABA
What is 2nd line if they can’t use ICS?
NOTE: this is more of an add-on than a replacement for ICS
LTRA - Leukotriene receptor antagonist
What is the Flovent equivalent dose for ICS that patients need to be on?
250 ug/day
usually dosed as 125 ug BID
Is there any benefit to increasing the Flovent equivalent dose past 250 ug/day long term?
No - only increase SE and not any increase in benefit
*think about switching therapy
Is there any benefit to increasing the Flovent equivalent dose past 250 ug/day short term?
Yes - can increase it to get it back into control but then should either go back to the minimum dose
What if adults are not controlled with ICS at a low dose ?
add LABA
What if children are not controlled with ICS at a low dose ?
try medium dose before adding LABA
What are some other questions we should be asking ?
- Feel like you’re getting a cold/flu?
- Exposure to triggers?
- Limitation of activities?
- Referred to action plan?
- Rule out exacerbation!!!
What symptoms what indicate she is experiencing an asthma exacerbation?
- Unable to speak
- Shortness of breath at rest
- Reliever (SABA) is not working
- Peak Flow < 60% predicted best
- Patients knows from past experience that they are having a serious attack
What are some triggers?
- Respiratory tract infections
- Allergens
- Environment (cold air, fog, smoke)
- Food additives (sulphites, MSG)
- Exercise
- Drugs/preservatives (ASA, NSAIDS, B-Blockers, benzalkonium chloride)
- Occupational (bakers, farmers, paint)
- Emotions
Once an individual is sensitized to a pet, ______ is recommended because continued exposure is associated with worsening airway inflammation and deterioration in asthma control.
avoidance
If a person doesn’t want to get rid of their pet, what is they key thing they must do?
keep it out of the bedroom and don’t spoon with the animal
People with asthma have a high probability of having ?
allergic rhinitis
Inflammation is _____
chronic
Symptoms are _____
episodic
Airway narrowing is ____
variable
What causes airway narrowing?
Contraction of airway smooth muscle
- increase responsiveness to certain triggers (aka: bronchospasm)
- airway edema
- mucus hypersecretion
- airway thickening (“remodelling”)
What causes remodelling?
When you do not treat with ICS preventatively
Describe airway remodelling
- Repair in response to chronic inflammation
- Increased airway wall thickness
- Fibrosis
- Increased smooth muscle size and number
- Increased number and size of mucous glands
- Increased number of blood vessels
What is the trigger for acute asthma?
release of inflammatory mediators
Describe the early phase of acute asthma?
bronchoconstriction (within 10-20 min), mucous hypersecretion, edema
What is the duration of the early phase of acute asthma?
about 1 hr
About ____ hours later, the late phase of acute asthma occurs
6-9