Asthma Flashcards
what is asthma?
reversible airflow obstruction
what happens with asthma?
airway narrowing due to a triad of cell responses
what 3 things makes the airway narrow?
bronchial smooth muscle constriction, bronchial mucosal oedema, excessive mucous secretion into the airway lumen
what are the asthma symptoms?
cough, wheeze, shortness of breath, diurnal variation (worse overnight and early morning), difficulty breathing OUT and lungs fill with air
what does PEFR do?
tracks airway resistance
when do you compare PEFR results?
with measurements taken at the same time e.g., morning measurement with morning measurement
what are the triggers for asthma?
unknown, infections, environmental stimuli (dust, smoke, chemicals), cold air, atopy
what does a skin prick test do?
test for atopy
what does an acute biphasic response mean?
asthma has an early response with acute asthma attack, a recovery period and then a late response a few hours later
how can we prevent a late delayed asthma attack?
by taking corticosteroids with the B agonists
what are the core asthma drugs?
intermittent short acting B agonists, inhaled corticosteroids (low dose), inhaled corticosteroids (high dose), regular acting B agonists, adjuvant therapy (biological therapy)
how are beta adrenergic agonists adminstered in an emergency?
in a nebulised form (liquid) in IV
what do B agonists do?
relax bronchial smooth muscle and therefore reduce bronchoconstriction and resting bronchial tone
if a B agonist is used as a long acting drug what else must be taken?
inhaled steroid
what actions do corticosteroids have?
immune cell and epithelial cell actions
when do you use corticosteroids?
if using short acting B agonist > 3 times a week (low dose), high dose if symptoms dictate
what would a mild asthmatic be taking?
low dose corticosteroid and short acting beta agonist (blue and brown inhaler)
what would a moderate asthmatic be taking
long acting beta agonist
what would happen to severe asthmatics
admitted to hospital or oral steroid used for short time in last year
what are the dental aspects of asthma?
know the patient has asthma, know the severity of the asthma, know the triggers for the patients asthma, know how to assess and treat and patient during an acute asthma attack
