Is Improper Use of the Inhaler Related To Poor Asthma Control?

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway that impacts a person’s and their family’s quality of life. In people with asthma, their airway becomes constricted with swelling and excessive mucous. This constriction or narrowing of the airway makes it difficult for the person with asthma to breath (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2009). If asthma is left uncontrolled, it leads to further wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, tiredness, and stress. (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2009).

(2013) addressed the severity caused by improper inhaler technique. In the study, majority patients were using pMDI and almost half of the sample population did not receive education on inhaler technique by any healthcare providers. Patients without any education were more likely to use inhaler improperly and improper inhaler technique led to irregular follow-ups, poor asthma control and more emergency department visits. Therefore, inhaler technique education is crucial for asthma patients. Llic et al. (2016) conducted a study assessing the influence of dry powder inhaler technique education on the control of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). During the study, patients visited pulmonologists once a month for 3 months, at each visit patients were educated on inhaler technique and the pulmonologists assessed patients’ disease control using the global assessment. The result from the study showed that patients obtained significant improvement in inhaler technique and disease control after each visit at the pulmonologists. This study further supported the importance of inhaler technique education on respiratory disease control and suggested that educate patients on inhaler technique should be considered to achieve better disease control. On the other hand, there were studies that investigated the role of pharmacists on patients’ inhaler technique education and the benefit from it. Giraud et al. (2011) conducted a study aiming to investigate the possibility of inhaler training by pharmacists and the impact on asthma control. The study result showed that the majority patients did not receive optimal inhaler technique education from the prescribers before pharmacists counselling. However, Patients had improved in inhaler technique and asthma control after pharmacists’ educational intervention. Moreover, inhaler training by pharmacists took relatively short period of time, which could match with daily practice.

R.J. is a 15-year-old boy with a history of asthma diagnosed at age 8. His asthma episodes are triggered by exposure to cats and various plant pollens. He has been using his albuterol inhaler 10 to 12 times per day over the last 3 days and is continuing to wheeze. He normally needs his inhaler only occasionally (2 or 3 times per week). He takes no other medications and has no other known medical conditions. Physical examination reveals moderate respiratory distress with a respiratory rate of 32, oximetry 90%, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) 60% of predicted, and expiratory wheezing.

To better understand the impact of asthma, a brief overview of the causes (aetiology) and disease progression (pathophysiology) must be shown. As common as asthma is, not much is known about its aetiology, according to findings presented by Subbaroa, Mandhane and Sears (2009, pg. 181-187) in a review from the Canadian

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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.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the pathophysiology of chronic asthma and acute asthma exacerbation, with explanation of arterial blood gas pattern during an asthma exacerbation. Also, explain how ethnicity might impact pathophysiology of asthma and asthma exacerbation. The diagnosis and treatment plan needed to relieve the presented signs and symptoms will be reviewed. Lastly, constructs two mind maps for chronic asthma and asthma exacerbation including its epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment.

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.

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.

As stated earlier, my three children also have asthma, which is in no doubt genetically linked to my father— their grandfather. Fortunately, they have mild symptoms, and inhalers are only needed during cold and flu season as a preventative measure. However, they are at higher risk of developing pneumonia or bronchitis due to their asthmatic predisposition, and unfortunately, there has been previous winters when this has happened. Because of this, as soon as any of the children have signs of a cold, they are immediately treated with their inhalers.

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.

Asthma is a chronic airway disease that can be difficult to manage, resulting in poor outcomes and high costs (Kuhn et al., 2015). It is characterized by episodes of expiratory airflow obstruction, which occurs in response to multiple stimuli or triggers. Asthma is a lifelong disease, and symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Attacks can be mild, moderate, severe, or even life threatening and limit a person’s way of life (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2011). There is no known cure for asthma, but symptoms can be controlled by avoiding the triggers and taking prescribed medicines that prevent or minimize symptoms.