Interprofessional care : Asthma

Interprofessional care

  • The current guidelines focus on
    • Assessing the severity of the disease at diagnosis and initial treatment and then
    • Monitoring periodically to control the disease
  • Intermittent and persistent asthma
    • Avoid triggers of acute attacks
    • Pre-medicate before exercising
    • Short-term (rescue or reliever) medication
    • Long-term or controller medication
  • Acute asthma exacerbations
    • Respiratory distress
    • Treatment depends upon severity and response to therapy
      • Classified as mild, moderate, severe, or life-threatening
      • Management focuses on correcting hypoxemia and improving ventilation
    • O2 given via nasal cannula or mask to achieve a PaO2 of at least 60 mm Hg or O2 saturation greater than 90%
      • Continuous oxygen monitoring with pulse oximetry
    • Bronchodilator treatment
      • Short-acting β2-adrenergic agonists (SABAs)
  • Assessment during acute exacerbation
    • Respiratory and heart rate
    • Use of accessory muscles
    • Percussion and auscultation of lungs
    • PEFR to monitor airflow obstruction
    • ABGs
    • Pulse oximetry
  • Severe and life-threatening exacerbations
    • “Silent chest”
      • Severely diminished breath sounds
      • Absence of wheeze after patient has been wheezing
      • Patient is obviously struggling
      • Life-threatening situation
      • Requires ED and possible ICU
      • IV magnesium sulfate
      • 100% oxygen
      • Hourly or continuous nebulized SABA
      • IV corticosteroids
  • Bronchial thermoplasty
    • Catheter applies heat to reduce muscle mass in the bronchial wall
    • Reverses accumulation of excessive tissue that causes narrowing of airway

Share:

More Posts

How to Grill Safely

What You Need to Know When handling raw meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood Separate it from other food Refrigerate it before grilling Wash

The Importance of Urgent Care

Urgent care centers are a vital part of the healthcare system. They provide convenient, affordable, and quality care for a wide range of minor illnesses

Common Urgent Care Conditions

These are just a few of the common urgent care conditions. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see a