14 Asthma

Question 1

Define asthma

Answer 1

Chronic inflammation of small airways

Question 2

How common is asthma?

Answer 2

185 people hospitalised per day due to asthma- primarily paediatric

Question 3

Outline the patholophysiology of asthma (ie what happens at a cellular/tissue level)?

Answer 3

Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction

Question 4

How does asthma present? (history and precipitating factors)

Answer 4

Question 5

If you saw this pair of lungs in a patients notes, what do the musical notes denote?

Answer 5

Musical notes= wheeze

Question 6

Differentiate between the diagnosis of asthma vs COPD.

Answer 6

Question 7

What is reversibility?

Answer 7

Change in lung function tests following inhalation of bronchodilator

Question 8

Management of asthma depends on the probability of a patient having asthma. Outline what manangement would be apporpriate for high, intermediate and low probabilities of a patient having asthma.

Answer 8

Question 9

How can secondary prevention be used to help patients with asthma?

Answer 9

Question 10

What medications are used to treat asthma? (inflammation and bronchospasm targets)

Answer 10

Question 11

How would you recognise acute severe asthma and life threatening asthma?

Answer 11

asthma increases a persons risk of pneuomothorax

Question 12

How would you manage acute severe or life threatening asthma?

Answer 12

Question 13

Useful info for acute severe and life threatening asthma.

Answer 13