Respiratory Emergencies - SD Flashcards
what vital sign is always the “right” answer?
Oxygen
Current steroid use or recent withdrawal from oral steroids, comorbid conditions, serious psychiatric illness, illicit drug use, and low socioeconomic class are risk factors for what disease?
Asthma
Which is illicit drug is very risk risky for asthma sufferers?
Crack cocaine
What are some questions you should get in your HPI when treating an asthmatic?
- Measures of home peak flow meter
- Recent illness/fever/cough
- Exposure to triggers
- Recent increase in use of rescue medications
- Duration of current exacerbation
According to Frank, what are some key questions to ask in your HPI?
- Have you ever been intubated?
- Are you taking steroids?
- Is that what your asthma feels like?
- Are you getting tired?
What are some “red flags” you might see on physical exam of someone who is profoundly SOB?
Respiratory distress, tachypnea/tachycardia/low SaO2 stats, unable to speak full sentences, audible wheezing, accessory muscle use, mental status change
Prior intubations, previous ICU admissions for asthma, recent or frequent emergency department visits for asthma exacerbations, hospitalizations or ED visits in the last month, use of 2 or more albuterol inhalers in the last month, use of air conditioning are all risk factors for?
Death from Asthma
What do we want to keep patient’s SaO2 levels above?
95%
When someone comes in for an asthma exacerbation, what 2 (maybe 3) things do we want to do (or monitor) right away?
Pulse ox monitoring, IV, +/- cardiac monitoring
What is a very simple thing you can ask your patient to do to help them breathe?
Sit patient up
What is our inhaled Beta2 agonist?
Albuterol
How quickly does albuterol work?
5 minutes
What drug acts by relaxing bronchial smooth muscle, decreasing histamine release, inhibiting microvascular leakage into airways, and increases mucociliary clearance?
Albuterol
What two side effects are typically seen after administration of albuterol?
Tachycardia and tremor
Which drug is a beta 2 receptor agonist with some beta 1 activity?
Levalbuterol
Steroids ________ recovery and ______ recurrence.
speed, reduce
When administering steroids, is onset faster PO or IV?
They are equal in onset
Which class of drugs works by inhibiting airway inflammation, reverse beta-receptor down-regulation, block leukotriene synthesis, and inhibit cytokine production and adhesion protein activation?
Steroids
_________ corticosteroids have no role in acute exacerbation
Inhaled
What drug is considered the standard of care for severe asthma exacerbations?
Epinephrine
true or false
IM route is superior to SC route when administering epinephrine
True
Which drug is a selective beta2-agonist that act directly on beta2-receptors, relaxing bronchial smooth muscle, relieving bronchospasm, and reducing airway resistance?
Terbutaline
Terbutaline serves as an alternative to epinephrine - whats the benefit to terbutaline?
less cardiac side effects
Which medication effects as a bronchodilator are mild, and toxicity is common?
Theophyline
*not commonly used anymore
Efficacy of this drug is controversial, but it relaxes smooth muscle and there is essentially no risk when administering it. What is it?
Magnesium sulfate
Which element is about 25% as dense as room air?
Helium
Heliox-driven nubulizer treatments should have more or less albuterol?
More – typically double the amount
What are some warning signs of a severe asthma exacerbation?
PFM less than 100-80L/min
PA02 less than 60mmHg
PCO2 greater than 45 mmHg
Pulsus paradoxus greater than 20 mmHg
Also, mental status change, cardiac arrhythmias, and pneumothorax
What is a severe, prolonged asthma attack which cannot be broken by usual treatment?
Status asthmaticus