Pediatric Asthma

Frequent coughing especially at night airways tend to narrow, which causes increased airflow resistance. Losing your breath easily or shortness of breath is caused by “grit” which accumulates in the air passageway because of an overload due to imcomplete filtering. Wheezing during physical activities. Wheezing is caused by increased responsiveness of the trachebronchial tree to various stimuli.

This paper will discuss and explore five-year-old Jessica White, who presented to the emergency department suffering from asthma (School of Nursing & Midwifery 2014). Firstly, this paper will scope the normal pathophysiology of the respiratory system and then discuss the abnormalities in relation to Jessica’s respiratory system and the reasoning behind her asthma due to being exposed to a certain trigger. In addition, it will discuss the pharmacology in relation to two medications in which Jessica has been prescribed, and how these medications will provide relief for Jessica and improve her asthma. Lastly, this paper will explore the signs and symptoms of asthma that Jessica presented with at the hospital and how they are associated with asthma.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children (Kahn and Boskey). Childhood asthma is when the lungs and airways become inflamed when something comes in contact to trigger it. There are different objects or activities to trigger a child’s asthma and if not treated appropriately it can cause an asthma attack. This disease can outbreak from a cold or any respiratory infection. Daily symptoms can interfere with a child’s asthma like a cold, sports, school, or play ("Childhood Asthma."). In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 5 million children under the age of 18 have this disease. In 1993 alone, asthma was the reason for almost 200,000 hospital stays and about 340 deaths under the age of 25 (Kahn and Boskey). Normally children will outgrow this disease by the time they

At various stages of asthma, preventative measures can be used to control or alleviate the symptoms associated with this disease. Education is an important component to every intervention phase, particularly in primary prevention, because the patient is encouraged to be proactive with their personal health in order to avoid and control the triggers. Prescribed medication, such as an inhaler, and an action plan that is individualized to the specific care of a particular patient is essential in the secondary prevention phase. Finally, in the tertiary prevention phase, the care is directed not only at the common asthmatic symptoms and triggers but also at the complications that result from long-term suffering of this disease. This paper focuses on environmental factors which trigger asthma, with specific focus on children from infancy to 16 years of age in low-income housing, and how the appropriate measure can minimize the triggers and symptoms. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the example we will use.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway that impacts a person’s and their family’s quality of life. In people with asthma, their airway becomes constricted with swelling and excessive mucous. This constriction or narrowing of the airway makes it difficult for the person with asthma to breath (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2009). If asthma is left uncontrolled, it leads to further wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, tiredness, and stress. (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2009).

Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the airways causing attacks of wheezing and breathlessness. It affects a person’s

About 10% of American children have asthma (Thakur et al., 2013). It is vital to understand what determinants cause childhood asthma to understand even with a low percentage, why it is still present. According to Williams et al., asthma is a health outcome which is a major impact on American youth (Williams et al., 2009). This health outcome not only impacts them throughout the years of being a child, but it has the potential of creating more serious health problems in the future. And without knowing what the causes are, it increases the rate asthma among children and prevents treatments from being implemented. It needs to be addressed by using results from prior studies in order to show how much of a problem childhood asthma is but also in finding and understanding the other underlying

1. Asthma as a word means, “To breathe hard.” Just as the definition of the word, people with asthma have a hard time breathing, tightness in the chest and wheezing can occur. It is also a chronic disease of the respiratory system, which the respiratory passages in the lungs become oversensitive and overactive. (i)

Asthma affects breathing through the airways in the lungs. The airways constrict and build up with mucus, making little room for air to come in and out. "Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing."

To better understand the impact of asthma, a brief overview of the causes (aetiology) and disease progression (pathophysiology) must be shown. As common as asthma is, not much is known about its aetiology, according to findings presented by Subbaroa, Mandhane and Sears (2009, pg. 181-187) in a review from the Canadian

The pathophysiology of Asthma includes inflammation of the airway. The way in which this works is from an irritant which can include dust, pollen, cedar, or cat hair. When a reaction occurs, the airways become inflamed and narrow. The narrowing occurs because once the inflammatory response is triggered by an irritant, histamines, immunoglobulin E antibodies, and leukotrienes are released. Because of this, mucous production occurs. Since the bronchioles are inflamed and narrow, breathing becomes difficult. Wheezing sounds can be heard due to the lack of air being able to easily move in and out of the narrowed bronchioles.

While unfortunately asthma is not a curable disease, for most asthmatics its can be well controlled meaning there will less symptoms or flare-ups and limits to your life. With correct medication, knowledge about the disease and skills, asthma shouldn’t stop you. There are many treatment options available when it comes to asthma. Asthma treatments vary from your basic asthma inhalers to steroids and other anti-inflammatory medicines and asthma nebulizer (Breathing Machine). (Anon., n.d.) The role that medical practitioners play with asthma is a very precise job. This role includes assessment, diagnosis, prescription of regular medications, provision of written action plans, and regular review as well as managing asthma flare-ups. Asthma-related visits to a general practitioner may occur for a variety of reasons, including: the acute or reactive management of asthma symptoms, a visit for maintenance activities, such as monitoring and prescription of regular medications and referral to other health professionals. (Anon.,

The sign and symptoms of an asthma attack include coughing that worsens at night or early in the morning, shortness of breath, chest tightness or wheezing sounds that occurs when breathing. Some symptoms go away without no treatment. However, severe asthma attacks require immediate emergency care. There is no cure for asthma because the disease will always be present. Even if an individual feels well, there’s always the possibility of something triggering an Asthma attack.

If you think that you have occupational asthma, identify what it is in the workplace that kicks up your symptoms, and avoid it.

When one is diagnosed with asthma there are several places where one can look for information other than their doctor. There are chat rooms and message boards on the internet or support groups in the patients’ local area. For children it is important to focus on things they can do and not on what they cannot do. Make sure teachers are aware of the diagnosis so they too can be on the lookout for symptoms. Making sure friends and family are aware as well. While there is no prevention for developing asthma there are however ways one can prevent attacks. Follow your asthma action plan. Identify and avoid asthma triggers such as allergens and irritants. Monitor ones breathing, this way you may be able to learn what the warning signs are to an attack. Make sure to take ones