Asthma Nursing Care Plan & Management
Definition
● Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by
hyper-responsiveness, mucosal edema, and mucus production.
● This inflammation ultimately leads to recurrent episodes of asthma symptoms:
cough, chest tightness, wheezing, and dyspnea.
● Patients with asthma may experience symptom-free periods alternating with acute
exacerbations that last from minutes to hours or days.
● Asthma, the most common chronic disease of childhood, can begin at any age.
Causes
The main triggers for asthma are allergies, viral infections, autonomic nervous system
imbalances that can cause an increase in parasympathetic stimulation, medications,
psychological factors, and exercise. Of asthmatic conditions in patients under 30 years old,
70% are caused by allergies. Three major indoor allergens are dust mites, cockroaches, and
cats. In older patients,the cause is almost always nonallergic types of irritants such as smog.
Heredity plays a part in about one-third of the cases.
,Pathophysiology
1. An asthma attack may occur spontaneously or in response to a trigger. Either way, the
attack progresses in the following manner:
● There is an initial release of inflammatory mediators from bronchial mast cells,
epithelial cells, and macrophages, followed by activation of other inflammatory cells
● Alteration of autonomic neural control of airway tone and epithelial integrity occur
and the increased responsiveness in airways smooth muscle results in clinical
manifestations (e.g. wheezing and dyspnea)
2. Three events contribute to clinical manifestations
● Bronchial spasm
● Inflammation and edema of the mucosa
● Production of thick mucus, which results in increased airway resistance, premature
closure of airways, hyperinflation, increased work of breathing, and impaired gas
exchange
, 3. If not treated promptly, status asthmaticus – and acute, severe, prolonged asthma attack
that is unresponsive to the usual treatment – may occur, requiring hospitalization.
Classification
1. Extrinsic Asthma – called Atopic/allergic asthma. An “allergen” or an “antigen” is a foreign
particle which enters the body. Our immune system overreacts to these often harmless items,
forming “antibodies” which are normally used to attack viruses or bacteria. Mast cells release
these antibodies as well as other chemicals to defend the body.
Definition
● Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by
hyper-responsiveness, mucosal edema, and mucus production.
● This inflammation ultimately leads to recurrent episodes of asthma symptoms:
cough, chest tightness, wheezing, and dyspnea.
● Patients with asthma may experience symptom-free periods alternating with acute
exacerbations that last from minutes to hours or days.
● Asthma, the most common chronic disease of childhood, can begin at any age.
Causes
The main triggers for asthma are allergies, viral infections, autonomic nervous system
imbalances that can cause an increase in parasympathetic stimulation, medications,
psychological factors, and exercise. Of asthmatic conditions in patients under 30 years old,
70% are caused by allergies. Three major indoor allergens are dust mites, cockroaches, and
cats. In older patients,the cause is almost always nonallergic types of irritants such as smog.
Heredity plays a part in about one-third of the cases.
,Pathophysiology
1. An asthma attack may occur spontaneously or in response to a trigger. Either way, the
attack progresses in the following manner:
● There is an initial release of inflammatory mediators from bronchial mast cells,
epithelial cells, and macrophages, followed by activation of other inflammatory cells
● Alteration of autonomic neural control of airway tone and epithelial integrity occur
and the increased responsiveness in airways smooth muscle results in clinical
manifestations (e.g. wheezing and dyspnea)
2. Three events contribute to clinical manifestations
● Bronchial spasm
● Inflammation and edema of the mucosa
● Production of thick mucus, which results in increased airway resistance, premature
closure of airways, hyperinflation, increased work of breathing, and impaired gas
exchange
, 3. If not treated promptly, status asthmaticus – and acute, severe, prolonged asthma attack
that is unresponsive to the usual treatment – may occur, requiring hospitalization.
Classification
1. Extrinsic Asthma – called Atopic/allergic asthma. An “allergen” or an “antigen” is a foreign
particle which enters the body. Our immune system overreacts to these often harmless items,
forming “antibodies” which are normally used to attack viruses or bacteria. Mast cells release
these antibodies as well as other chemicals to defend the body.
