Asthma, GINA: A Case Study

I met the community outreach programmer Ms. Lisa and I discussed with her about an appropriate evidence-based practice. Ms. Lisa said that there is not education program in Taney County Health Department for asthmatic people. Thus, she asked me to find a successful evidence-based practice, which has been applied in the other Counties or States

One strategy that has shown to improve medication compliance and outcomes for patient with asthma is the provision of Asthma Action Plans (AAP). The Asthma Action Plan or AAP is widely recognized as the best tool for asthma self-management and has been demonstrated to improve outcomes for asthmatics. The AAP is a detailed plan that describes medications and treatments, how to control asthma, and how to address worsening asthma. The plan also describes when to call the doctor or go to the emergency room. The plan breaks down the severity of symptoms and treatment by color helping those with limited language skills and low health literacy the ability to understand the asthma treatment plan. (Nepaul et al.,

Asthma is a respiratory disease that many people deal with every single day. “According to World Health Organization, approximately 180,000 people die from asthma each year.” (Jardins and Burton 187) Most people never think of asthma as a life threatening disease, but it can be crucial. As the number of people with asthma increases, the more likely you are to come in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with this disease. Asthma is a severe breathing problem that has many complications that is dealt with daily like shortness of breath, chronic cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath, my main focus is childhood asthma, allergic asthma, and medication to treat asthma.

It is still the healthcare provider’s prerogative whether to utilize these guidelines or use an individualized approach, which ever works for the patient. I personally would utilize the stepwise approach first, since it is evidence-based, unless it is not working for the patient, then I would utilize an individualized approach. In addition, identifying trigger factors specific to the patient is vital in minimizing symptoms and exacerbations. A diary or log to note what type of activity, foods eaten, weather condition, presence of pollen, dust, smoke precipitates an attack would help in preventing future attacks by avoiding said factors. Nonpharmacological treatment would include stress reduction techniques, since high levels of stress has been cited as a trigger factor for some asthmatic patients. Preventive measures like, getting vaccinated, avoid smoking, and avoiding trigger factors can make a significant impact in asthma control. Making the patient actively involved in the management of the condition have a better chance of controlling

Mom is very open to the asthma education. However she had specific requests regarding her availability. She visits the Hospital for Special Care (see attached) everyday where her son is currently staying. In addition, she needs to be available to care for her other three children after summer camp, and she wanted the education completed before her son returns home from the hospital. Lastly, we do not need an environmental conducted as Chris has already completed one.

I began to do research on living with asthma. I started with the American Lung Association website. I read every page on it that had to do with asthma. It was there that I learned about a program called “Breathe Well, Live Well”. The American Lung Association (2014) website states that this is a program, aimed at adults, who want to better control their asthma. It involves a small workshop that teaches the participants how to get help from their physician, what asthma control medicines are available, how asthma and other conditions interact, what may trigger an attack, tracking symptoms, and developing healthy habits. I participated in one of these workshops and came away feeling much better about my condition. I met other people, young and old, who were also living with asthma. This allowed me to make new friends and connections with people who understood what I was experiencing.

Asthma affects 1 in every 12 Americans. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, Asthma is affects “About 1 in 9 (11%) non-Hispanic blacks of all ages and about 1 in 6 (17%) of non-Hispanic black children had asthma in 2009, the highest rate among racial/ethnic groups.” As a mother of child with asthma, I know how scary it can be to deal with asthma attacks and learning how to treat the symptoms and minimize risk factors.

Putting on AIRS is a free program for residents of Connecticut who have a diagnosis of asthma, and who may benefit from a home visit by a Certified Asthma Educator and an Environmental Specialist. Darlene had a home visit on March 4th. Enclosed you’ll find the signed release of information which permits the program to make available the summary of the visit. In addition, find the Asthma Control Test (ACT), taken from the Measures of Asthma Assessment and monitoring document page 67; “Patient Self-Assessment” (EPR-2 1997) that her mom completed at the time of

Avoiding and controlling asthma triggers is important in every phase of the intervention process in order to manage the disease. However, many times because of lack of awareness and education, asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the respiratory system and has a considerable impact on both individuals and a population. Everybody is susceptible to asthma, some more than others, depending of a variety of factors including, age, sex, geographical location and income. Asthma is particularly prevalent in younger children and the elderly and while it can be fatal, most people have mild cases of asthma that are relatively easy to treat. The condition mainly impacts an individual’s physical ability to contribute to a community.

Asthma triggers and response to medications does not affect individuals in the same ways. Moreover it is not always simple to manage due to its affectability on people on age, sex and ethnic background (Cockett,2003). However, specialist nurse can achieve a successful outcome by ensuring that management plans are tailored to suit each patients/clients needs.

Asthma is best described as a chronic inflammation the pulmonary lower airways because of hyperresponsiveness of lower airway obstructions that is usually reversible (Fireman, 2003). Asthma is triggered by cold air, exercise, viral upper respiratory infections, cigarette smoking, and respiratory allergens. One in 12 people in the United States has been diagnosed with asthma which is approximately 25 million people which accounts for 8% of the total population (AAAAI, 2016). It is estimated that the average cost for care of asthma in the United States is about $3,300.00 yearly in related medical expenses, missed school, missed worked days and early death (AAAAI, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to describe the long-term treatment

A screening template can be developed that can assist the nurse in performing a thorough assessment of an asthmatic patient. This questionnaire should be at an appropriate education level and question should be simple and direct. The questions should focus on the presence or absence of symptoms, activity limitations, exacerbations, missed workdays, and frequency of use of prescribed medications.

3. What components of the patient’s asthma management plan should be monitored during a home visit?

Experts have yet to understand why the rates of asthma are rising by an average of 50% every decade worldwide. According to the Asthma Society of Canada (2016), asthma is now considered to be a major health concern with approximately 235 million suffering from this illness worldwide. Kuhn et al (2015) states that as at 2012, one out of 12 people in the United States had asthma and the number continues to rise. More people have been diagnosed with this disease and in 2007; over 3000 deaths were linked to Asthma. Furthermore, the costs of treating asthma continue to rise with about 56 billion dollars being spent in 2007 compared to $53 billion in 2002 (CDC, 2011). From data gathered in California, which is our area of study, it was estimated that 2.3 million