Asthma attacks kill 3 people in the UK each day. But many of these deaths could be avoided. Every 10 seconds someone has a potentially life-threatening asthma attack. Find out what your risk of having an attack is using Asthma UK's asthma attack risk checker. If you're
on the right asthma treatment, your chance of having an attack is greatly reduced. Visit a doctor or asthma nurse at least once a year for a check-up and to discuss your treatment. Signs that you may be having an asthma attack include: The symptoms will not necessarily occur suddenly. In fact, they often come on slowly over a few hours or days. If you think you're having an asthma attack, you should: Never
be frightened of calling for help in an emergency. Try to take the details of your medicines (or your personal asthma action plan) with you to hospital if possible. If your symptoms improve and you do not need to call 999, get an urgent same-day appointment to see a GP or asthma nurse. This advice is not for people on SMART or MART treatment. If this applies to you, ask a GP or asthma nurse what to do if you have an asthma attack. After an asthma attackYou should see a GP or asthma nurse within 48 hours of leaving hospital, or ideally on the same day if you did not need hospital treatment. About 1 in 6 people treated in hospital for an asthma attack need hospital care again within 2 weeks, so it's important to discuss how you can reduce your risk of future attacks. Talk to a doctor or nurse about any changes that may need to be made to manage your condition safely. For example, the dose of your treatment may need to be adjusted or you may need to be shown how to use your inhaler correctly. Preventing asthma attacksThe following steps can help you reduce your risk of having an asthma attack:
Do not ignore your symptoms if they're getting worse or you need to use your reliever inhaler more often than usual. Follow your action plan and make an urgent appointment to see a GP or asthma nurse if your symptoms continue to get worse. Advice for friends and familyIt's important that your friends and family know how to help in an emergency. It can be useful to make copies of your personal asthma action plan and share it with others who may need to know what to do when you have an attack. You can photocopy your existing plan, or you could download a blank personal asthma action plan from Asthma UK and fill it in for anyone who might need a copy. Or you could take a photo of your action plan on your phone, so you can show or send it to others easily. Page last reviewed: 19 April 2021 DiagnosisFor adults and children over 5 years old, lung (pulmonary) function tests are used to check how well the lungs are working. Poor lung function is a sign that your asthma isn't well controlled. In some cases, lung function tests are also used in asthma emergencies to help your doctor understand the severity of an asthma attack or how well treatment is working. Lung function tests include:
TreatmentIf you and your doctor have worked out an asthma plan, follow its directions at the first sign of an asthma attack. This generally means taking two to six puffs of a quick-acting (rescue) inhaler to get airway-expanding medication, such as albuterol (ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA, others) and levalbuterol (Xopenex), deep into your lungs. Small children and those who have trouble with inhalers can use a nebulizer. After 20 minutes, you can repeat the treatment one time if necessary. If you continue to wheeze or feel breathless after treatment, visit your doctor or urgent care that day. If you're having symptoms of a severe asthma attack, such as difficulty speaking because you're so short of breath, use your quick-acting (rescue) medication and get to a doctor's office or urgent care immediately. Your doctor may recommend that you continue to use quick-acting medication every three to four hours for a day or two after the attack. You might also need to take oral corticosteroid medication for a short time. Emergency treatmentIf you go to the emergency room for an asthma attack in progress, you'll need medications to get your asthma under immediate control. These can include:
After your asthma symptoms improve, your doctor may want you to stay in the emergency room for a few hours or longer to make sure you don't have another asthma attack. When your doctor feels your asthma is sufficiently under control, you'll be able to go home. Your doctor will give you instructions on what to do if you have another attack. If your asthma symptoms don't improve after emergency treatment, your doctor may admit you to the hospital and give you medications every hour or every few hours. If you're having severe asthma symptoms, you may need to breathe oxygen through a mask. In some cases, a severe, persistent asthma attack requires a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). Clinical trialsExplore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Lifestyle and home remediesAll asthma attacks require treatment with a quick-acting (rescue) inhaler such as albuterol. One of the key steps in preventing an asthma attack is to avoid your triggers.
Preparing for your appointmentBe prepared for your visit to your doctor so that you can get the most out of your appointment. At each visit:
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. Some good questions to ask your doctor include:
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment. What to expect from your doctorYour doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
Oct. 01, 2021 Which position will the nurse use when caring for a patient with an asthma exacerbation?During an asthma attack, the patient should sit down, preferably in a semi-fowler position to help with breathing (Wilson, 2015). The patient should try to relax as much as possible and breathe from their diaphragm.
What is asthma exacerbation position?Supine sleep position for asthma patient has demonstrated that persistent use of this natural body position when sleeping ensures high reduction of asthma symptoms and bothersome night awakening episodes, consumption of ant-asthma medicine and reduces work limitation for patient.
Which position is most appropriate for the nurse to place a patient experiencing an asthma?3. Place patient in high Fowler's or tripod position as needed to reduce feelings of dyspnea. Positioning will assist in maximum expansion of lungs.
How do you manage asthma exacerbation?Emergency treatment. Short-acting beta agonists, such as albuterol. These are the same medications as those in your quick-acting (rescue) inhaler. ... . Oral corticosteroids. ... . Ipratropium (Atrovent HFA). ... . Intubation, mechanical ventilation and oxygen.. |