Asthma: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Complications

This article provides an overview of asthma, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and complications. It also covers prevention and management of asthma attacks. Risk factors, influences, and course of the disease are discussed. The article includes references to recent research studies.

Asthma attacks
Aetiology
Triggering factor causes inflammation of airways
This leads to activation of T lymphocytes and mast cell
Activated, this further leads to bronchial hyper
responsiveness [2]
Pathogenesis
Genetic or environment factor stimulation of B cells to
produce IgE activation of helper t cells allergens
crosslink IgEs on mast cells release of histamines and
other inflammatory mediators
Vasodilation, increased mucus secretion, and soft muscle
contraction airway obstruction
Acute severe asthma [3]
Clinical features
 Breath issues
 Unable to speak the
full sentence in a
single breath
 Respiratory rate is
less than25 BPM [3]
Diagnosis
 Chest X-rays
 Arterial blood gas (ABG)
analysis
 Peak expiratory flow or
PEF [4]
Course of disease
With treatment: the gas
exchange is controlled,
symptoms will be resolved
Without treatment: the
asthma symptoms may
become worsen, may leads
top death [4]
Complications
 Tachycardia and
hypokalaemia
 lack of sleep, nausea,
skin changes
 headache, sinus pain, and
cough p[4]
Disease prognosis
Deaths caused by acute
severe asthma was
increased by forty per cent
between 1993 to 1995
Complication like congestive
heart failure may be caused
due to delayed treatment
[6]
Primary prevention
Oxygen administration
Use of Corticosteroids
Immediately ventilation support [2]
Treatment
Secondary prevention
Medicine (e.g.
Nebulised Salbutamol)
Rehabilitation
Advice the patient
related to exercise
Eating healthy diet
Patient education [5]
Medical
Mechanical ventilation)
Nursing acute phase
Assessment of vital signs
Avoid allergens
Maintaining healthy
environment
Recording any
complication [2]
Results in
Causes
Previous asthma attack
Illegal drug use
Exercise
Allergens [1]
Acute severe Asthma
A c u t e s e v e r e a s t h m a i s
c o n s i d e r e d a s t h e a s t h m a ti c
a tt a c k t h a t h a s n o t b e e n
i m p r o v e d b y u s i n g p r e v i o u s
t r e a t m e n t m e t h o d s [ 1 ]
Risk factors
Diagnosed
by
Leads to
immediate needs
for
Influences
Prevent
occurrence
of

References
1. Ducharme, F. M., Zemek, R., Chauhan, B. F., Gravel, J., Chalut, D., Poonai, N., & research group of the Pediatric, doorway (2016).
Factors associated with failure of emergency department management in children with acute moderate or severe asthma: a prospective,
multicentre, cohort study. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 4(12), 990-998.
2. Ducharme, F. M., Zemek, R., Chauhan, B., Gravel, J., Chalut, D., Poonai, N., & Krajinovic, M. (2015). B21 TRANSLATIONAL
ASTHMA RESEARCH: Determinants Of Oral Corticosteroid Responsiveness In Wheezing Asthmatic Youth (doorway): A Multicentre
Prospective Cohort Study Of Children With Acute Moderate Or Severe Asthma Exacerbations. American Journal of Respiratory and
Critical Care Medicine, 191, 1.
3. Castillo, J. R., Peters, S. P., & Busse, W. W. (2017). Asthma exacerbations: pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment. The Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 5(4), 918-927.
4. Sandrock, C. E., & Norris, A. (2015). Infection in severe asthma exacerbations and critical asthma syndrome. Clinical reviews in allergy
& immunology, 48(1), 104-113.
5. Zorowitz, R. D. (2016). ICU–Acquired Weakness: A Rehabilitation Perspective of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Functional
Management. Chest, 150(4), 966-971.

6. FitzGerald, J. M., Bleecker, E. R., Nair, P., Korn, S., Ohta, K., Lommatzsch, M., ... & Gilmartin, G. (2016). Benralizumab, an anti-
interleukin-5 receptor α monoclonal antibody, as add-on treatment for patients with severe, uncontrolled, eosinophilic asthma
(CALIMA): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. The Lancet, 388(10056), 2128-2141.