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ASSESSMENT DIAGNOSIS
Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, associated with recurrent,
reversible airway obstruction with intermittent episodes of wheezing and dyspnea. Bronchial
hypersensitivity is caused by various stimuli, which innervate the vagus nerve and beta adrenergic
receptor cells of the airways, leading to bronchial smooth muscle constriction, hypersecretion of
mucus, and mucosal edema.
After 3 days of nursing interventions, the patient will demonstrate behaviors to improve airway
clearance.
Independent:
•
Auscultate breath sounds. Note adventitious breath sounds like wheezes, crackles and rhonchi.
•
Elevate head of the bed, have patient lean on overbed table or sit on edge of the bed.
•
Keep environmental pollution to a minimum like dust, smoke and feather pillows, according to
individual situation.
•
Encourage or assist with abdominal or pursed lip breathing exercises.
•
Assist with measures to improve effectiveness of cough effort.
•
Some degree of bronchospasm is present with obstructions in airway and may or may not be
manifested in adventitious breath sounds.
•
Elevation of the bed facilitates respiratory function by use of gravity.
•
Precipitators of allergic type of respiratory reactions that can trigger or exacerbate onset of acute
episode.
•
Provides patient with some means to cope with or control dyspnea and reduce air tapping.
•
Coughing is most effective in an upright position after chest percussion.
After 3 days of nursing interventions, the patient was able to demonstrate behaviors to improve
airway clearance. •
Increased fluid intake to 3000 ml/ day. Provide warm or tepid liquids. Collaborative:
•
Administer bronchodilators as prescribed.
•
Hydration helps decrease the viscosity of secretions, facilitating expectoration. Using warm liquids
may decrease bronchospasm.
•
To reduce the viscosity of secretions.
INTRODUCTION:
Asthma is a chronic, reversible, obstructive airway disease,
characterized by wheezing. It is caused by a spasm of the
bronchial tubes, or the swelling of the bronchial mucosa,
after exposure to various stimuli.
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood.
Most children experience their first symptoms by 5 years of
age.
ETIOLOGY:
Asthma commonly results from hyperresponsiveness of the trachea and bronchi to irritants.
Allergy influences both the persistence and the severity of asthma, and atopy or the genetic
predisposition for the development of an IgE-mediated response to common airborne allergens is
the most predisposing factor for the development of asthma.
CLASSIFICATION:
1. Extrinsic Asthma – called Atopic/allergic asthma. An “allergen” or an “antigen” is a
foreign particle which enters the body. Our immune system over-reacts to these often harmless
items, forming “antibodies” which are normally used to attack viruses or bacteria. Mast cells
release these antibodies as well as other chemicals to defend the body.
Common irritants:
• Cockroach particles
• Cat hair and saliva
• Dog hair and saliva
• House dust mites
• Mold or yeast spores
• Metabisulfite, used as a preservative in many beverages and some foods
• Pollen
2. Intrinsic asthma – called non-allergic asthma, is not allergy-related, in fact it is caused by
anything except an allergy. It may be caused by inhalation of chemicals such as cigarette smoke
or cleaning agents, taking aspirin, a chest infection, stress, laughter, exercise, cold air, food
preservatives or a myriad of other factors.
• Smoke
• Exercise
• Gas, wood, coal, and kerosene heating units
• Natural gas, propane, or kerosene used as cooking fuel
• Fumes
• Smog
• Viral respiratory infections
• Wood smoke
• Weather changes
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: