Asthma

Question 1

what are some exaamples of respiratory pathologies?

Answer 1

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Asthma (obstructive)
• Congenital and genetic lung conditions
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• Restrictive lung disease
• Lung cancer (restrictive)
• Respiratory muscle disorders

Question 2

what does restrictive airway disease reduce?

Answer 2

lung capacity
how much air can be inhaled

Question 3

what does obstructive airway disease reduce?

Answer 3

airflow
how much air can be moved out or into the lung

Question 4

what are the syptoms of asthma?

Answer 4

• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pain
• Wheezing during exhalation
• Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory
  virus
• Chronic cough
• Significantly variable breathlessness
• Night-time wakening with breathlessness and/or wheeze
• Significant diurnal or day-to-day variability of symptoms

Question 5

what is asthma?

Answer 5

• A chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways with reversible airway obstruction and increased airway responsiveness to a variety of stimuli
• Variable airflow limitation that normalises with treatment or spontaneously

Question 6

what are the environmental/ modifiable factors for triggering asthma?

Answer 6

• Allergens
• House dust mite
• Pets
• Fungal spores
• Pollens
• Infections
• E.g. LRTI
• Others
• Smoking
• Pollution
• Occupational hazards (e.g. flour, chemicals)
• Stress
• Exercise
• Cold air

Question 7

what happens during an asthma attack to the brochus?

Answer 7

contracted airway smooth muscle
bronchoconstriction- bronchial smooth muscle contraction that narrows the airways in response to stimuli

Question 8

what are the two types of inhalers?

Answer 8

meter-dose inhaler
dry powder inhalers

Question 9

what percentage of the drug from the inhaler reaches the lungs with good inhaler technique?

Answer 9

20%

Question 10

what percentage of the drug from the inhaler reaches the lungs with poor inhaler technique?

Answer 10

5%

Question 11

what is a peak expiratory flow (PEF)?

Answer 11

a measure of how quickly you can blow air out of your lungs

Question 12

how to measure a peak flow?

Answer 12

• Pull the counter (the red arrow) back as far as it will go to the top near the mouthpiece.
• Stand or sit upright – choose what’s most comfortable for you and always do it that way.
• Take the deepest breath you can.
• Make sure your mouth makes a tight seal around the mouthpiece.
• Blow as hard and as fast as you possibly can into the meter.
• Write down your score (the number next to the pointer).
• Do this three times in a row so you get three scores (all three scores should be roughly the same).
• Use the highest of these scores to fill in your peak flow diary.

Question 13

what does a peak flow measure do for the diagnosis of asthma?

Answer 13

• Measure for 2-4 weeks
• More than 20% variability regarded as positive test

Question 14

what does a peak flow measure do for someone with a diagnosis of asthma?

Answer 14

• Up to 20% lower than best is considered normal
• 20-50% lower than normal means action needs to be taken
• Medical help
• Action plan