Essay Example on Asthma: Chronic Lung Disease With Unending Breathlessness

Introduction

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lung that entails the inflammation of the bronchi where the bronchi swell, leading to the narrowing of the airways. The patient experiences breathing difficulties, and the bronchi releases thick mucus that clogs the airways creating difficulties in breathing. The patient begins to experience breathing difficulties that threaten the life of the patient. The condition can be managed but cannot be treated. The inflammation of bronchi is recurrent; hence, it keeps on re-occurring when the condition is managed. The patient becomes sensitive to the substances that they inhale.

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The essay will look into the different techniques and methods to which nurses can use to increase patient compliance to medication as they undergo surgery for the deadly disease that has caused deaths and suffering among the patients. (Darveaux et al., 2015). The various issues to be discussed in the paper as far as patient medical compliance is concerned to include the following:

• Physiology and pathophysiology of Asthma, its clinical manifestation, and evaluation.
• Pharmacologic treatment of Asthma
• Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Asthma
• Drug interaction, side effects, adverse reactions,
• Application of nurse process in monitoring drug therapy.
• An educational resource that assists staff in increasing patient knowledge of medications and medication compliance

The above-highlighted text point form will form the basis of the essay in creating educational resources that can be used by nurses in helping patients comply with the medications given for the treatment of Asthma.

Physiology and Pathophysiology of Asthma

The limitation of airflow causes Asthma, and several airway changes influence this condition:

Bronchoconstriction - the prevalent process that leads to clinical manifestation in Asthma is narrowing of the airway and airflow interference. During Acute exacerbation of the disease, smooth bronchial contraction of the muscles known as bronchoconstriction happens faster to narrow the airways in reaction to the stimuli variety that includes irritants. Other anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin can lead to acute airflow effect in some patients. Exercise and stimuli are different reactions that can lead to obstruction of acute airflow. Stress is the other factor that could lead to the contraction of the muscles resulting in acute airflow.

Airway edema - other factors limit airflow as the illness continues to become persistent, and inflammation continues to be progressive. The factors include mucus hypersecretion, edema, and swelling. The above considerations lead to the manifestation of the disease in most patients.

Airway hyperresponsiveness - it is an exaggerated response to a number of stimuli. The extent to airway hyperresponsiveness is described contraction response to the challenges that have methacholine, which correlates with the clinical reaction of Asthma. The methods that attract hyper-responsiveness are dysfunctional neuroregulation, inflammation, and changes in the structure of the airways. The primary factor in the determination of the degree of hyperresponsiveness in airways is inflammation. Reduction of airway hyperresponsiveness and improvement of asthma control can be treated by reducing inflammation. Reduction of inflammation have ground ability to treat the hyperresponsiveness in airways, and also the method can be used in improving the control of Asthma within patients who are in dire need of the process. (Schwarze, J et al., 2018)

Pharmacologic Treatment of Asthma

Pharmacological treatment of Asthma is mainly centred on a stepwise method which is primarily geared towards reducing the symptoms available for the disease. The symptoms are as a result of obstruction of the airway and inflammation. The treatments are done to maintain the normal functioning of the lung. Therapy is the most common means of the pharmacological treatment procedure, although it depends on different countries. Therapy treatment procedures are done to prevent any possible irreversible changes in the airways. The stepwise treatment approach is only conducted in the case of the severity of the disease where the process is thus undertaken.

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Asthma

The Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics reactions to inhaled corticosteroids are one of the most effective means that have influenced the safety and efficacy in the treatment of Asthma. The key features that can affect efficiencies of inhaled corticosteroids are small particle sizes, glucocorticoid-receptor affinity to binding, the residence of long residence time for pulmonary time and conjugation of lipids. The above features can prolong anti-inflammatory reactions of the inhaled corticosteroids. The various aspects that can be used to enhance the security of inhaled corticosteroids in the lung include features such as low exposure of oropharyngeal, negligibility of oral bioavailability, rapid clearance of system, and high-level protein-binding. (Wenzel, S, 2016).

Flonase - Flonase is a nasal spray that is used to administer medicine through the nostril. The spray is used in the management of Asthma, where it helps in managing allergies that trigger Asthma among patients (Sur & Plesa, 2015). There are different types of Flonase sprays that perform different functions. The nasal spray is effective in managing the condition over a limited period. Flonase spray helps in managing to sneeze and running nose on asthma patients.

Atrovent - Atrovent contains ipratropium bromide and is used to treat running nose. It's also used in managing Asthma by reducing the mucus that blocks the bronchi, creating breathing difficulties (Sur & Plesa, 2015). Atrovent is packed in the form of a spray that the patient spray through the nostril.

Drug Interaction, Side Effects, and Adverse Reactions

The various side effects of asthma disease include itching, which becomes very uncomfortable for the patient. Vomiting also comes as a side effect of the contraction of the airways, the patient continually experiences changes in appetite, feeling of weakness which results to weight loss, and drowsiness, bad tastes, and trouble during sleep are some of the side effects of Asthma. The adverse effects of Asthma include a rapid worsening in the breathing period, increased demand for the inhaler, and lastly breathe shortness on small action. These adverse reactions of the patients to the disease should be taken with immediate medical attention because they result in the death of the patient. (Chung, K. F. (2015).

Application of nurse process in monitoring drug therapy

In the treatment of the asthma patients, the nurse are majorly involved in the processes of test administration, checkups for any complications, monitoring of the balance of the patients, medicine administering, creating awareness to the family on asthma control and in providing aid to the patient to acquire a relaxed position in the process of treatment and medication. The nurses ensure that the patients are in the right ability to take up the medicines.

Educational Resource

Nurses can engage in several educational initiatives and resources that will help in creating a better environment for their patients and also in educating them on the control measures of Asthma. The strategies may include, advocating for health literacy by empowering the patient to -137565-6473600ask the question in any field and aspect that they might want clarification. A pictorial presentation of medical schedule to the patient would be great educational approaches since it would allow them to understand the various aspects of the procedures required of them. Providing videos on mental health, especially from the national institute of mental health, would be a strategy to create awareness on mental health and help the patient to control and avoid such incidences. The above procedures in providing educational measures are directed towards ensuring that patients and their families are well educated on the disease. (Castro-Rodriguez et al., 2016)

The strategy helps them have a better view and approach to any effect that they might encounter in case the nurses are not available. The educational resource can also be achieved through public participation through the creation of a patient-centred health home that will give ground for interaction and sharing of knowledge and ideas amongst themselves. It is the best approach to educational resource because bringing the patient together creates a more favourable environment for the patient to learn from themselves.

References

Castro-Rodriguez, J. A., Custovic, A., & Ducharme, F. M. (2016). Treatment of Asthma in young children: evidence-based recommendations. Asthma research and practice, 2(1), 5.

Chung, K. F. (2015). Targeting the interleukin pathway in the treatment of Asthma. The Lancet, 386(9998), 1086-1096.

Darveaux, J., & Busse, W. W. (2015). Biologics in Asthma-the next step toward personalized treatment. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 3(2), 152-160.

Schwarze, J., Openshaw, P., Jha, A., Del Giacco, S. R., Firing, D., Tsilochristou, O., & Custovic, A. (2018). Influenza burden, prevention, and treatment in asthmaA were scoping review by the EAACI Influenza in an asthma task force. Allergy, 73(6), 1151-1181.

Sur, D. K., & Plesa, M. L. (2015). Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis. American family physician, 92(11).

Wenzel, S. E., Jayawardena, S., Graham, N. M., Pirozzi, G., & Teper, A. (2016). Severe Asthma and asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease syndrome-Authors' reply. The Lancet, 388(10061), 2742.