Asthma Flashcards
Triggers/Risk Factors for Asthma
- Genetic
- Exposure to certain infections early in life
- Exposure to air pollutants
- Obesity
- Maternal smoking
- Premature birth
- exercise
- emotional upsest
- Resp. tract infection
- ASA or Nsaids
- cold or hot air
Women at 30 yo?
- pregnant?
- asthma is the most common resp problem while pregnant
- low birth weights, hyper emesis, etc..
- Asthma is usually dormant during L&D
Goals of Tx for pregnant asthmatic?
-prevent from worsening
CC and main causes
chronic cough
main causes:
- asthma (inflammation)
- Postnasal drip (PND)
- GERD
- Smoking
- Chronic bronchitis
- Medication induced
- Post-respiratory infection
Asthma
chronic inflammatory disease characterized by reoccurring episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing
Class of meds that cause cough
-Ace inhibitors
Focused exam for Asthma related symptoms
- Resp/Perfusion
- Cardio/Perfusion
- Skin (rashes, allergies, etc..)
- Abdomen (GERD, etc..)
Peak Flow Meter
- PEFR
- measures what force they can exhale
- Allows patients to monitor symptoms and communicate severity to others
- Patients need to establish “personal best” or their “normal” PEFR
- personal best/normal is used to evaluate severity of airway obstruction
Spirometry
- breathe in as much as possible and it measures how much is exhaled.
- thorough assessment of lung function
- often done before and after medication given
- generally used in diagnosis
Other Diagnostic Tests
- CBC with differential
- ABG
- CXR
- Oxygen saturation
- Transcutaneous O2 and CO2 monitoring
Other Diagnostic Tests
- CBC with differential
- ABG
- CXR
- Oxygen saturation
- Transcutaneous O2 and CO2 monitoring
Pharmacologic Therapy Goals
- prevent and control symptoms
- reduce frequency and severity of exacerbations
- reverse airway obstruction
Effects adrenergic drugs can have on the body
- increasing BP
- constricting blood vessels
- opening the airways leading to the lungs**
- increasing HR
- Stopping bleeding
Bronchodilators: Beta 2 agonists can be…
short acting and long-acting
Bronchodilators: Anticholinergics
-useful when asthma symptoms are poorly controlled by adrenergic stimulants alone
Atropine
Bronchodilators: Anticholinergics
Ipratropium bromide
Bronchodilators: Anticholinergics
Atrovent