Respiratory care - community Flashcards
Red flag symptoms for respiratory conditions
- Chest pain/pain when breathing
- Wheezing
- Chronic cough (>3 weeks)
- Reoccuring cough
- Haemoptysis (blood in flem)
- Weight loss (induction of cancer)
- Fever (indicates infection)
- If asthma is controlled and no worsening wheeze
- Recommend demuceselent such as codeine linctus
- Any allergies?
- Inhaler techniques?
- What type of cough? Wheezy?
- Is she coughing anything up?
- Has athma gotten worse?
- How is her asthma controlled?
- Compliance to medicine?
- Refer her to GP - showing red flag symptoms
What should you recommend for colds with patients with respiratory diseases?
- Avoid respiratory depressants if
disease severe - E.g. cough suppressants
- Asthma
- Avoid NSAIDS unless patient taken
safely previously - Recommend:
- Paracetamol
- Honey and lemon
- Steam inhalation
What would you recommend?
- Non alcoholic solutions as they irritate lungs, bad for asthmatics
- Use aqueous solutions e.g. hedrin
- Also only treat the ones who have lice
Ways to support patients with respiratory diseases
SIMPLE
- Stop smoking: smokers respond less to asthma treatment
- Inhaler technique
- Monitoring: pharmacist should encourage people to go for reviews, high risks should be monitored
- Pharmacotherapy: ICS should be prescribed for all asthmatics. People with LABAs should also have ICS
- Lifestyle: avoid allergies, adapt healthy lifestyle - weight reduction, reduce fruits veg fish and eggs
- Education: Pharmacists should ensure all patients have a written asthma plan
Deterioration in Respiratory
Conditions – Things to look out for
What non pharmacological and pharmacological will you discuss with Mr Rogers?
- Risk factors for disease progression - smoking overweight and lifestyle
- Vaccinations - pneumonia, influenza, covid
- Check inhaler technique
- Salbutamol inhaler
- LABA/LAMA
- Temp - presence of fever
- Oxygen saturation
- Blood pressure
- Heart rate
- Chest examination
