Learning Objectives

Upon completion of today’s presentation, participants will be able to identify:– prevalence of asthma– common asthma symptoms– potential asthma triggers– asthma medications– how to manage an asthma episode– how to respond to an asthma emergency– components of an asthma action plan

Common Asthma Symptoms

Wheeze Cough Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath Tight chest/chest pain Retractions (neck area and/or muscles in ribs move inward with breathing), more noticeably

in children

Infections

Common cold is #1 asthma trigger

What can you do? Wash hands Keep hands away from face Have separate towels Get a flu shot

Instruction page on MDI with Spacer/Holding Chamber and Mask from flip chart

Instruction page on MDI with Spacer/Holding Chamber from flip chart

--Hand-held device

--Measures how much air you can breathe out from your lungs in one second.

--Used by patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma

Asthma Action Plan

Zones of Asthma

There are three zones of asthma:– Green– Yellow– Red

Green Zone page of flipchart

GREEN Zone

Go:

No Asthma Symptoms

Yellow Zone page of flipchart

Yellow Zone

Caution

Early Warning Signs and

Asthma Symptoms Begin

Red Zone page of flip chart

RED Zone

GET HELP!

Call medical services or 911

If the person with asthma fails to improve:

If any of the symptoms listed on a person’s asthma action plan as emergency indicators are present

If no improvement or relief from medications is noted after 15 to 20 minutes (or time period indicated by health care provider on asthma action plan)

OR

If any of the following conditions are present: The person is hunched over with shoulders lifted, straining to breathe. The person has difficulty completing a sentence without pausing for

breath. The person’s lips or fingernails turn blue. The person’s peak flow reading is below 60% below personal best.