Asthma Flashcards
Symptoms of asthma result from
a
combination of inflammation and
bronchoconstriction
3 Assessment and treatment groups
0-4 y.o.,
5-11 y.o. & 12 y.o. and older
initial visit
classify asthma severity
follow-up visit
assess asthma control and
adjust therapy
two goals of treatment
reduce treatment
reduce risk
how many days a week should a pt need to use SABA
less than 2
how many times a week should a patient awake a night time due to asthma
less than 2
Three components of risk reduction
Prevention of recurrent exacerbations and need for emergency
department or hospital care
– Prevention of reduced lung growth in children, and loss of lung
function in adults
– Optimization of pharmacotherapy with minimal or no adverse
effects
Three lung function tests
– Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)
– Forced vital capacity (FVC)
– Peak expiratory flow (PEF)
What test is diagnostic in asthma
FEV1
Severity levels
– Intermittent
– Mild persistent
– Moderate persistent
– Severe persistent
Three categories of asthma control
well-controlled
not well-controlled
very poorly controlled
Asthma control test what is considered a well controlled score
greater than or equal to 19 is well-controlled
5 components of asthma meanagment
• Pharmacologic treatment
• Stepwise approach
• Increase medications until asthma is controlled
• Decreasing medications when possible to
minimize side effects
• Adjustment of the patient’s management
should be considered at every visit.
Step one
patients not already on a controller
medication – classify the severity of the
patient’s asthma (if already on a controller
medications, change in therapy is guided by
assessment of asthma control).
Review initial visit:
classifying asthma severity and
initiating therapy
Follow-up visits
assessing asthma control and
adjusting therapy
Intermittent asthma symptoms occurring
two or fewer days per week
