Respiratory therapeutics 1 Flashcards
Define asthma
- An inflammatory disease of the airways
- Recurrent reversible airways obstruction
- Hyper-secretion of mucus by bronchial epithelial cells
- Infiltration of mast-cells and eosinophils
What is causing asthma?
- Not clear - genetics? enviroment? both?
- Factors increase chance to develop condition: family history of asthma, born premature, occupational exposure
How is asthma diagnosed?
Non-pharmacological advice to manage chronic asthma
- Avoid asthma triggers: smoking, pollen, dust, foods, clean house
- Healthy lifestyle: regular exercise, healthy weight, control heartburn
- Education intervention: personalised action plan
- Relaxation and breathing exercises
Pharmacological treatment of asthma?
Mechanism of action: B2 adrenoreceptors
- They activate b2 adrenergic receptors in airway smooth muscle
- Cause airway smooth muscle relaxation by dependent mechanisms (or independent)
- Depending on if its SABA or LABA
Mechanism of action: Difference between SABA LABA
Advantages and disadvantages of b2 adrenoreceptor agonists
Advantages:
* Allow reduction of corticosteroid dose
* Reduction of symptoms and improvement of lung
function
Disadvantages:
* Increase risk of asthma exacerbation, hospitalization, death
Adverse effects of b2 adrenoreceptor agonists
- ‘off target’ effect - e.g. increase in heart rate, hypokalemia, tremor
- Ill-defned b2 AR mediated effects - increased mortality, high risk of exacerbation
Mechanism of action: Glucocorticoids
Examples of glucocorticoids used in asthma treatment
- Inhaled is an ICS
- Prednisolone is a steroid treatment
Glucocorticoids; adverse effects
- With long term use theres many AE
- Weight gain
- Thinning of skin
- Changes of mood
- Limb atrophy
- Infection
- Diabetes mellitus
LTRA mechanism of action
Mechanism of action: muscarinic acetylcholine receptors
Examples of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors
Side effects of muscarinic receptor antagonists
Muscarinic antagonist-b2-agonist MABA: mechanism of action
- Dual pharmacology molecule combining the mAChR antagonist and β2-AR agonist moieties into a single molecule