Cough Airway Muscles

Two main theories have been proposed to explain the bronchoconstriction associated with hyperventilation and airway cooling in the asthmatic patients: the first attributes a predominant role to the vagus nerve, whereas the second emphasises the part played by mediator substance released from mast cells in the airways (EIA & EO).

The APN in collaboration with the MD will do a complete clinical evaluation of the patient. They will obtain patient medical history, perform physical exams, assess, and order blood test and CXR to rule out pneumonia, then provide appropriate treatment. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NHLBI (2011) indicates that, since most cases of acute bronchitis are of viral etiology, no antibiotics are necessary. However, the antibiotics are used if the bacteria are suspected. The recommended treatment includes plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration that may be caused by fever, encourage enough rest and a good diet to facilitate recovery, cough suppressant such as dextromethorphan, and pain and fever reliever such as acetaminophen. The patient will be advised to use a humidifier or steam to help loosen mucus and relieve the symptoms and inhaled medication to keep airway open if wheezing. The patient will also be encouraged to quit smoking and avoid any source of airway irritants such as smoke and dust (NHLBI,

The airway is divided into two main parts, upper and lower. The upper airway includes the nose and nasal passages, paranasal sinuses, the pharynx, and the portion of the larynx above the vocal cords. The lower airways includes the portion of the larynx below the vocal cords, trachea, bronchi and bronchioles, as well as the lungs, although whether the lungs are part of the lower airway or another part among themselves is still a hotly debated topic. Respiration is controlled in the brain by the medulla and the pons, with an exception being the Hering-Breuer reflex controlled by the stretch receptors. Breathing is considered a both voluntary and involuntary action, as humans can override their involuntary breathing,

The cough reflex is a long and deep inhalation followed by the closing of the glottis, this causes a strong exhalation that pushes the glottis open and sends air through the respiratory passages. Stimulus for the reflex

A cough reflex clears up sputum from the nasal passages and pharynx. In the trachea there are cilia that move mucus up from the lungs. The mucus causes the cough reflex.

The inflammation of the bronchial tubes makes the nerves in the lungs very senstive. In response to irritation, the body forces air through the airways by rapid strong contraction of the muscles of respiration

Corresponding upper motor neuron innervation for the aforementioned motor component are also involved. The second and third parts encompass the mechanoreceptor system, which responds to stretch and irritants to regulate the rate and volume of respiration, and the chemoreceptor system.

* An ongoing cough, or a cough with significant amounts of increased mucus production ( this is often called "smoker's cough")

To effectively investigate the question, research was established using CINAHL as the main database of research. Cochrane was yielded for research results, but CINAHL yielded more results than Cochrane. Yet still, even with this, the results found on CINAHL showed no articles that compared CoughAssist and regular suction, in relation with amount of patient suctioning. As such, other articles with similar research angles were utilized to answer the question. This resulted in five articles which help one to make an inference on how CoughAssist may help reduce amount of suction needed by a patient.

Currently, standards for the diagnosis and treatment of AB are inconsistent, but all guidelines recommend avoiding prescribing antibiotics for acute cough/AB (Dempsey, Businger, Whaley, Gagne & Linder, 2014). A viral infection is usually a self-limited illness (Busse & Lemanske, 2010). Symptoms management such as cough control is the goal and recommended in managing AB. Therefore, the importance of the familiarity of the clinicians with the recent clinical guidelines for AB and adherence to the guidelines is recommended, but can be challenging in terms of consistently utilizing the guidelines into their practice (McCollough, Zimmerman, and Rodriguez, 2014).

This is because “Healthy children who do not have a URI may cough 1 to 34 times every day” (Kelley 515). When coughing up to thirty-four times a day it can give the idea of the possibility of an acute cough when there is in fact nothing wrong and no sickness present. The reason for coughing when there is not a sickness present is because a cough is a reaction that takes place when your body has to clear anything that is blocking your airway. An irritation of a chemical or mechanical substance will also result is a cough due to the brain sending the body an automatic message to cough to get rid of the irritant that is present. This is because the abdominal and internal muscles have a high increase of pressure in the lungs that leads to an explosion of air that releases all of the foreign bodies in the lungs out into the air. (Kelley 515-516) A cough is not always an indication of an illness but is also the bodies way of protecting itself from any unknown body that could be harmful to

Over the counter cough syrup is highly discouraged as coughing may be just an indicator of a certain disease. Before you administer any medicine you should consult a doctor and this should be done after exhausting all the available natural relief remedies.

In vivo: In vivo pertussis toxin treatment did not affect contraction and relaxation properties of isolated BALB/c or NIH mouse trachea, but significantly reduced noradrenaline- or KCl-induced maximal contraction and reduced sensitivity

According to Pratter, Brightling, Boulet, and Irwin, (2006), based on duration, cough can be divided into three categories: acute, lasting < 3

than nonsmoking males. A person’s reflex to cough is a defensive action that prevents foreign