ASTHMA Flashcards
❑ A spasm of bronchial tubes caused by hypersensitivity of the airways and inflammation that leads to mucosal edema
and mucous hypersecretion
❑ Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness
asthma
asthma is also referred as? (2)
reactive airway disease
bronchial asthma
etiology of asthma
atopy
allergens
respiratory tract infection
what is the inflammatory response to stimuli when exposed to allergens?
airway edema and accumulation and secretion of mucus;
spasm of the smooth muscle of the bronchi and bronchioles
effects of forced expiration due to bronchial constriction
- fatigue
- decreased respiratory effectiveness
- increased o2 consumption
clinical manifestations of asthma
cough (hacking, non-productive)
frothy, clear, gelatinous sputum
SOB
wheezing
dark lops
malar flush, red ears
restlessness, apprehension
true or false - there is prominent sweating as the attack progresses
true
chest - there is ___ on percussion
hyperresonance
prolonged / repeated episodes can lead you to have ___ chest, ___ shoulder, ___ malar bones, ___ nose, and prominent ___
barrel chest
elevated shoulder
flattened malar bones
narrow nose
prominent upper teeth
evaluates airway responsiveness by measuring how much a person’s airways react to certain triggers
bronchoprovocation testing
helps identify potential triggers like allergens that can worsen asthma symptoms or cause allergic reactions
skin testing
to assess for complications or other conditions that might be causing or exacerbating breathing difficulties, rather than to diagnose asthma itself
radiographs (frontal and lateral)
what does PEFR mean
peak expiratory flow rates
what do these mean in PEFR?
green
yellow
red
green - all clear
yellow - caution, asthma is not well controlled
red - medical alert
classification of asthma:
symptoms less than twice a week
mild intermittent
classification of asthma:
symptoms more than 2x a week but less then 1 time a day
mild persistent
classification of asthma:
daily symptoms
moderate persistent
classification of asthma:
continual symptoms
severe persistent
2 categories of medications to treat asthma
quick-relief meds
long term control meds
used for quick relief of acute exacerbations of asthma symptoms
bronchodilators
bronchodilators:
1 - quick relief
2 - long term control
1 - sympathomimetics
2 - xanthine derivatives
anti-inflammatory drugs
coticosteroids
for long-term control and prevention of mild, persistent asthma
leukotriene inhibitors
help to stabilize the cell membrane by preventing mast cells from releasing the chemical mediators
mast cell stabilizers
help relieve acute bronchospasm
anticholinergics
examples of anticholinergics
atropine, ipratropium
- Is a monoclonal antibody
omalizumab (xolair)
a potent muscle relaxant
mag sul
treatment / mgmt for asthma
breathing exercise and physical training
chest physiotherapy
hyposensitization
allergen control
