preview

Steroid Case Study

Good Essays

1/ What is the difference between the upper and lower respiratory? The respiratory tract is the system that allows you to breathe air into your lungs and back out again. The passageway that air travels through is divided into two sections, the upper respiratory tract, and the lower respiratory tract.

The upper respiratory tract includes the nose, throat, voice box (larynx) and upper windpipe (trachea).

The lower respiratory tract includes bronchi (the two branches the windpipe divides into as it enters the lungs), bronchioles (even smaller branches of air tubes) and alveoli (the tiny air sacs at the end of the bronchioles).

The air that we breathe is full of germs, so infections of the respiratory tract are very common, especially …show more content…

How does this type of steroid work? Who should NOT take this type of drug and why? Patient with asthma can be given a corticosteroid (Prednisone) to help with the inflammation: Steroids are a family of chemicals normally made within the body. They serve as hormones —chemical signals that help to regulate the body's growth and function. Some steroid hormones, like testosterone, stimulate the formation of protein and growth of muscle. Competitive athletes have been known to take illicitly derivatives of these "body-building" steroids in large amounts to improve their athletic performance.

How does this type of steroid work? Steroids are taken in tablet or liquid form oral steroids are usually prescribed for asthma that has become difficult to control by any other means; they are the most effective treatment available for a severe "attack" of asthma. Most often, they are prescribed for a short period of time: a short course may be as brief as 3-4 days or as long as 2-3 weeks. They are stopped when asthma has gotten better and other treatments suffice to keep it under control. Longer periods of treatment and continuous treatment with oral steroids are generally avoided except for the most difficult-to-control asthma because of the undesirable side effects that often develop with prolonged oral steroid

Get Access