Pneumonia Vs Asthma Essay

| This is important because we need to look at the relevant data and realize that she seems to be in distress and first take care of that. Also realize that she seems to have an infection. With this information we are able to prioritize

Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness in children and is responsible for nearly 10% of the Emergency Room visits for children <15 year of age. It occurs in as many as 10%-12% of children in the United States and is gradually growing. Asthma can begin at any age , but most children have their first symptoms by age five. Because Camp Wapiti is for children ages 8-13 exclusively, this report will focus primarily on childhood asthma.

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs, it can be caused by a variety of organisms entering the body – including bacteria, viruses or fungi. The infection causes an inflammation of the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs and may result in the alveoli filling with fluid or other purulent material (Mayo Clinic, 2016). An accumulation of fluid within alveoli and portions of the lungs, can reduce the ability of the lungs to allow for oxygen diffusion across the alveoli walls. If oxygen saturation is low, it can cause the body’s cells to not work effectively. Therefore, the risk of the infection spreading through the body is increased – it is due to this reason, that pneumonia can be life-threatening (American Lung Foundation, 2016). Pneumonia

I have always generally known, who I am, however one day I began questioning it all. For as long as I can recall, I have been very active as well as healthy. As a child, I was involved in every sport there was. Then once I reached high school this all was ripped away from me and I felt has if I had been stripped of my identity.

“Final call girl’s four by eight-hundred-meter relay” called the official. The Ontario Track girl’s four by eight-meter team trooped up to lane one, in unison. I would not have wanted to be racing with anyone else but my relay family. We had trained all season for this one race. Every workout, asthma attack, tear, and shin splint has lead up to this one race to break a twenty year old school record. As we jogged with the official from the bullpen to the starting line, the crowd had uproars of excitement for the athletes. An immense smile grew across my face, not only from the ecstatic crowd, but from the anticipation to race. I approached the starting line, in the first lane, while my teammates arrayed along the fence with the other second,

Breathing is a vital process for every human. Normal breathing is practically effortless for most people, but those with asthma face a great challenge. During an asthma attack, breathing is hampered, making it difficult or even impossible for air to flow through the lungs. Asthma is an increasingly common problem, and has become the most common chronic childhood disease. At least 17 million Americans suffer from it(1), and although it can be fatal, it is usually not that severe(4). There is no cure for asthma, but with proper care, it can usually be controlled.

The feeling of a lead brick on your chest, desperately needing air but unable to draw a breath and the feeling of drowning in the very substance you need to survive. Shaking hands squeeze a canister and suddenly there is a rush of medication, an odd taste and then the brick gets lighter and lighter as gradually more oxygen comes in and once again air is flowing in and out properly. For an individual with asthma, an inhaler feels like the most amazing invention ever to grace the human mind or hands. Without the medicine stored in the tiny canister, life as is known by the average non-asthmatic would be but a dream for myself and around 25.7 million other people (Akinbami and Johnson, 2012). The idea of inhaling medicine to cure ailments started

As you already know, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), manifests itself when the passageway of air to the lungs is severely obstructed, thus preventing sufficient flow of oxygen into the bloodstream.1 The pathophysiology of COPD is a complex process that is the result of multiple airway diseases that simultaneously contribute to the impairment of airflow in the lungs.1 Specifically, the overlapping outcome of chronic bronchitis and emphysema is the pathogenesis of COPD.1 The risk factor for the COPD is influenced by the individual’s genetics, age, gender, exposure to air pollution, socioeconomic status, and the use of tobacco products.1 The use of tobacco products can increase the development of COPD.1 However, individuals that don’t smoke can also attain COPD.1 Therefore, COPD is not exclusive to individuals that smoke on a daily basis.1 In fact, genetics and the natural aging process plays a part in the development of pulmonary issues.1 For example, it has been proven that a deficiency in the alpha -1 antitrypsin gene is correlated with the development of COPD.1 The natural deterioration of lung tissue, coupled with the long term exposure to environmental elements, explains why the risk of attaining COPD increases as one progresses to the latter stages of their lives.1 In a healthy individual, goblet cells secrete about one liter of mucous that provides a moist surface over the lungs, trachea, and esophagus.1 The cilia on the pseuodocolumnar epithelial cells continuously sweep the mucus in the lungs in an upward motion.1 The cilia sweeps the mucosal trapped debris up, and removes pathogens and other foreign particles out the pulmonary tissue.1 In individuals with COPD, the pathogenesis of the disease creates structural modifications of the lung tissue, which result in deformed and nonfunctioning cilia.2 The lack of functioning cilia leads to the buildup of mucous, pathogens, and subsequent respiratory infections.2 Furthermore, the body tries to combat

The client’s secondary diagnosis is community-acquired pneumonia. Typically, immune defense mechanisms, such as the secretion of alveolar macrophages and immunoglobulins A and G, protect the lower airway from infection. Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia, invades the lungs. The organism triggers an inflammatory response, resulting in increased blood flow and vascular permeability. Neutrophil activation occurs, to surround the kill the invading organism. A combination of the offending organism, neutrophils and fluid from the surrounding blood vessels flood the alveoli, inhibiting normal oxygen transportation. This filling of the alveoli may lead to tachypnea, tachycardia and dyspnea. Further obstruction of airflow and an increased impairment of gas exchange occur as mucous production increases. When

Throughout the years knowledge about asthma has grown, as well as treating it effectively. Over 300 million people are said to be victims of this disease with another 100 million being estimated by 2025 globally (Currie and Baker, 2012). In the United Kingdom, asthma is increasingly becoming one of the leading disease affecting individual of different age, ethnicity, race and gender. British Lung Foundation (2011) stated that it is more common at childhood stage and can also occur at a later age. According to Asthma UK (2014) asthma in men is less prevalence than it is in women and children troubled more with asthma than adults. Recent data in the UK shows that in children and occupational asthma in adult is on the rise with an estimate

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung which results into an excess of fluid or pus accumulating into the alveoli of the lung. Pneumonia impairs gas exchange which leads to hypoxemia and is acquire by inhaling a contagious organism or an irritating agent. (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Fungal, bacteria and viruses are the most common organisms that can be inhale. Pneumonia could be community-acquired or health care associated. Community –acquired pneumonia (CAP) occurs out of a healthcare facility while health care associated pneumonia (HAP) is acquired in a healthcare facility. HAP are more resistant to antibiotic and patients on ventilators and those receiving kidney dialysis have a higher risk factor. Infants, children and the elderly also have a higher risk of acquiring pneumonia due to their immune system inability to fight the virus. Pneumonia can also be classified as aspiration pneumonia if it arises by inhaling saliva, vomit, food or drink into the lungs. Patients with abnormal gag reflex, dysphagia, brain injury, and are abusing drug or alcohol have a higher risk of aspiration pneumonia (Mayo Clinic, 2013). In the case of patient E.O., this patient had rhonchi in the lower lobe and the upper lobe sound was coarse and diminished. Signs and symptoms of pneumonia include difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, fever, headache, chills, cough, confusion, pain in muscle or

Asthmatic individuals can suffer from a reduced quality of life that is both physical and psychological. It was estimated in 2009 that approximately 17.5 million adults, and 7.1 million children suffer from asthma. An estimated total cost of this disease in 2010 was $20.7 billion dollars (Quality, 2014). This paper will focus on Pathopharmacological foundations, pathophysiology, pharmacological treatments, and the social and environmental impacts of asthma on our communities and nation.

Asthma is the most common childhood condition in Australia (Better Health Channel, 2015). The National Institute of Health [NIH] (2014), describes asthma is a chronic long-term lung disease that causes a person’s airways to swell and become very sensitive. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of a person’s lungs. When theses airways react to certain stimuli, the muscles around them tighten, narrowing the airways and causing less air to flow to the lungs. When this occurs, cells in the airways can also make more mucus than usual, which causes a sticky, thick liquid to be excreted and further narrows the swollen airways. This process is all caused when the person inhales certain substances that aggravate the sensitive airways.

Pneumonia is an illness of the lower respiratory tract in which the lungs become inflamed and congested and alveolar spaces are filled with fluid and cells-polymorphs and lymphocytes (Mandell L.A). It is an inflammatory condition of the lung and it is one of the most serious infections, causing two million deaths annually among the young and elderly. Pneumonia is the largest killer, accounting for 28% to 34% of all child deaths below five years of age in low-income countries and is an important cause of mortality in the elderly in high-income countries (Suárez).

The clinical manifestations of pneumonia will be different according to the causative organism and the patient’s underlying conditions and/or comorbidities (Smeltzer, et al). Some of the manifestations are