Asthma and Stepwise Management

Asthma and Stepwise Management

Introduction

Asthma is identified as a chronic respiratory condition that affects over 22 million American citizens, where approximately 6 million out of the 22 million are children. According to Dunn, Neff & Maurer (2017), Asthma is the primary cause of absenteeism in schools as well as decreased productivity among practitioners and caregivers who are often compelled to leave their work to care for their children. More importantly, the rate of hospitalization for Asthma is alarmingly high despite the significant strides made in the field of healthcare over the past decade. However, asthma-related deaths have decreased significantly, with fewer patients diagnosed with the condition reporting difficulties in carrying out various activities (Barnes, 2015). Nonetheless, with asthma marked as a common disease, it calls for the need to identify and discern minor symptoms of Asthma from major signs (Arcangelo et al., 2017). Therefore, this discussion sets out to discuss the long-term management of Asthma, proper quick-relief medication and stepwise therapy, including its significance and how practitioners can aid patients in managing the condition better.

Long-term Control

In essence, the long-term control of Asthma is anchored on anti-inflammatory drugs that go the extra mile towards reversing the symptoms. It should be emphasized, however, that the effectiveness of therapy is based on a continuous process and in certain instances, it may be incomplete (Kupczyk & Kuna, 2017). Among the most common medication is Corticosteroids, which alter or disrupt the last phase reaction to allergens, further decreasing the airway dynamic responsiveness as well as restricting the migration and activation of inflammatory cells (Inoue et al., 2017). These drugs are identified as the most potent anti-inflammatory drugs for controlling asthma symptoms. More importantly, inhaled corticosteroids are the most widely used long-term drugs for managing Asthma. This medication and other anti-inflammatory drugs such as leukotriene modifiers, immunomodulators and long-acting agonists are categorized under first-class medications. Immunomodulators go a long way towards preventing the binding of IgE into the receptors of high affinity in mast cells as well receptors (Barnes, 2015). While leukotriene modifiers are also used in inhibiting the inflammation of the airway, they have psychological side effects such as increased risks of depression, hallucination, agitation and suicidal thoughts (Kupczyk & Kuna, 2017). For this reason, medical practitioners deem inhaled corticosteroid medication issued in relatively low doses as the appropriate treatment due to their decreased risks of psychological complications that make them the safer option for long-term control.

Quick Relief Treatment

The quick-relief drugs are given as needed for active suppression of asthma symptoms. They are often administered to patients who exhibit wheezing, coughing, an asthma attack and difficulty in breathing. In most cases, the medications are identified as bronchodilators as they dilate and compel the airway muscle to relax (Barnes, 2015). The most common quick-relief medications are beta-agonists which are often used before and during an asthma attack. These medications are commonly used before individuals exercise to suppress symptoms associated with Asthma. In essence, they relax the muscle airways, further enabling an individual to breathe easily in the instance of an attack (Barnes, 2015). Ipratropium has also been identified as fast relief medication that also goes the extra mile towards relaxing the muscles of the airway. More importantly, intravenous corticosteroids and Oral steroids have also been revealed to relieve asthma attacks by inhibiting inflammation and asthma-associated symptoms. Other medications include Albuterol such as Proventil HFA, ProAir and Ventolin HFA, Terbutaline and Metaproterenol (Kupczyk & Kuna, 2017). However, quick-relief medications are associated with psychological side effects, including anxiety, restlessness as well as a fast and irregular heartbeat.

Stepwise Management

Stepwise management of Asthma constitutes several phases that take into account several aspects, including the patient’s age and the degree of severity in regard to their presenting symptoms. Primarily, stepwise management mainly adjusts the intensity of medication to proper levels that are relatively appropriate for the management of Asthma (Dunn, Neff & Maurer, 2017). More importantly, stepwise administration sets out to evaluate the degree of medication depending on the patient’s age and severity of symptoms. At the onset of Asthma, a patient may be prescribed a higher dosage of asthma controller medication to relieve the grave symptoms, where the medication is then adjusted following the fact that patients need the least amount of medication to achieve optimal control (Lee et al., 2016).

Stepwise Management in Assisting Patients and Health Practitioners

Stepwise management goes the extra mile to help health providers avoid medical related complications among patients by enabling them to instruct and educate patients on how to efficiently use prescribed medication (Arcangelo et al., 2017). It also helps them avoid adverse effects of the medication by giving them the capacity to adjust the level of medication to favourable standards that are necessary for efficient control of Asthma while taking into account the age of the patients and the severity of their symptoms (Lee et al., 2016). Under patients, this approach goes the extra mile towards helping them to better manage their condition through progressive medication that is consistently appropriate for their symptoms (Arcangelo et al., 2017). Following the fact asthma medication is associated with various side effects, stepwise management helps suppress psychological reactions by adjusting medicines to lower and safe dosages.

Conclusion

In sum, Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects over 22 million American citizens, where approximately 6 million out of the 22 million are children. More importantly, the long-term control of Asthma is anchored on anti-inflammatory drugs that go the extra mile towards reversing the symptoms. On the other hand, the stepwise management to controlling Asthma is identified as the best approach as it mainly adjusts the intensity of medication into proper levels that are relatively appropriate for the management of Asthma.

References

Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (Eds.). (2017).Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4^th ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Barnes, P. J. (2015). Therapeutic approaches to Asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndromes. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 136(3), 531-545.

Dunn, N. A., Neff, L. A., & Maurer, D. M. (2017). A stepwise approach to pediatric Asthma. Journal of Family Practice, 66(5), 280-286.

Inoue, H., Nagase, T., Morita, S., Yoshida, A., Jinnai, T., & Ichinose, M. (2017). Prevalence and characteristics of Asthma–COPD overlap syndrome identified by a stepwise

Approach. International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 12, 1803.

Kupczyk, M., & Kuna, P. (2017). How should treatment approaches differ depending on the severity of Asthma?. Expert review of respiratory medicine, 11(12), 991-1001.

Lee, X. H. M., Ong, L. X., Cheong, J. Y. V., Sultana, R., Rao, R., Lim, H. H., … & Chiang, W. C. (2016). A stepwise approach in the management of chronic spontaneous urticaria in children. Asia Pacific Allergy, 6(1), 16-28.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

ASTHMA AND STEPWISE MANAGEMENT

To Prepare:

Reflect on drugs used to treat asthmatic patients, including long-term control and quick relief treatment options for patients. Think about the impact these drugs might have on patients, including adults and children.

Consider how you might apply the stepwise approach to address the health needs of a      patient in your practice.

Reflect on how stepwise management assists healthcare providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease.

Create a 5- to 6-slide PowerPoint presentation that can be used in a staff development meeting on presenting different approaches for implementing the stepwise approach for asthma treatment. Be sure to address the following:

Describe long-term control and quick relief treatment options for the asthma patient from your practice as well as the impact these drugs might have on your patient.

Explain the stepwise approach to asthma treatment and management for your patient.

Explain how stepwise management assists healthcare providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease. Be specific.

Includes introduction and a conclusion.

RUBRIC FOR GRADING

Describe the long-term control and quick relief treatment options for the asthma patient from your practice, as well as the impact these drugs might have on your patient. = The presentation clearly and accurately describes in detail the long-term control and quick relief treatment options for the asthma patient from their practice. … The presentation clearly and accurately describes in detail the impact these drugs might have on their patient.

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeExplain the stepwise approach to asthma treatment and management for your patient. = The presentation clearly and accurately explains in detail the stepwise approach to asthma treatment and management for their patient.

Explain how stepwise management assists healthcare providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease. Be specific. = The presentation clearly and accurately explains in detail how stepwise management assists healthcare providers and patients in gaining and maintaining control of the disease. … The presentation provides accurate and detailed examples to support the explanation provided.

Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization: Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate the continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused–neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. = Paragraphs and sentences follow writing standards for flow, continuity, and clarity.

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWritten Expression and Formatting – English writing standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation. = Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with no errors.