Case Study Analysis: Asthma, Treatment, and Management in Australia

This case study analysis examines the case of Tegan Smith, who is likely suffering from allergic asthma due to recent environmental changes. The analysis delves into the pathophysiological changes associated with asthma, including airway constriction, edema, and hyperresponsiveness. It then explores various treatment options for asthma from an Australian perspective, including preventer medications, relievers, and bronchial thermoplasty. Furthermore, the assignment outlines the standard asthma management education provided to parents and children before discharge in Australia, emphasizing the importance of understanding asthma triggers, medication usage, and written action plans. The document is supported by references to relevant medical literature.

Running head: CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
1. Based on the information in the case study, which type of asthma is Tegan Smith
likely to have suffered?
Answer- As stated in this case study; Tegan Smith is experiencing allergic responses and is
suffering from wheezing, fatigue, stuffy nose, postnasal drainage, cough, watery eyes since
seven days. Assessing her sympotoms, she is likely to suffer from Allergic Asthma. This is
because Tegan was not having this disease of asthma since her initial period and as she and
her family moved to Alpine Resort, she faced all these problems within herself. Therefore, it
can be assumed that she is suffering from allergic asthma. She might have had any food there
that caused her allergy from that in her and her unconsciousness. Or she might have
consumed or inhaled any other thing there which her body is not immune to and that has
triggered asthma. People who have allergic asthma generally start feeling symptoms right
after inhaling any allergen like pollen or dust mites or anything like that. The symptoms that
Tegan is experiencing are all belong to allergic asthma. With the same, it is also to be noted
that Tegan’s mother too had a history of sinusitis, allergy and nasal polyps.
2. Discuss the pathophysiological changes in asthma.
Answer- The airflow limitation in Asthma is repetitive and it takes place by a numerous
changes in airway. They include Broncho constriction, airway edema, airway hyper
responsiveness and airway remodeling. In asthma, the most dominant physiological event
that leads to the clinical symptoms is the narrowing of the airway and a succeeding
interference with the airflow (Logsdon & Oettgen, 2015). In severe exacerbations of the
asthma, there is occurrence of contraction in the bronchial smooth muscle in order to narrow
the airways in response to exposure of numerous stimuli consisting of the irritants and
allergens. As this disease tends to become more resolute and the inflammation more
continuous and progressive; the other factors also contributed in limiting the airflow. These
consist of inflammation, edema, and formation of the inspissated mucus plugs and mucus

2CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
hyper secretion along with structural changes such as hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the
airway smooth muscle (Zuo, Ni & Chuang, 2016). However, the airway hyper responsiveness
is the most important one but is not necessarily a unique feature of this disease. The level to
which the airway hyper responsiveness could be defined by the contracted responses to the
challenges with the methacholine harmonizes with the clinical seriousness of the asthma. The
mechanisms that influence the airway hyper responsiveness are several and they include
dysfunctional neuroregulation and the structural changes and the inflammation. The
inflammation appears to be one of the major factors in assessing the level of airway hyper
responsiveness. Lastly, in some of the persons suffering from asthma, the imitation of the
airway might only be partially reversible. The airway remodeling includes activation of many
of the structural cells along with resultant permanent changes in the airways which increases
the obstruction of the airflow.
3. Discuss different treatment options for asthma (Australian perspective).
Answer- There is different treatment options for asthma present in Australia and they are use
of preventer medications, reliever medications and bronchial thermoplasty (Langton et al.,
2017). The preventers are the ones which are taken by the asthma patients to keep their
asthma under control. The inhaled corticosteroids work through decreasing the underlying
inflammation of the airways by helping for decreasing the severity and incidence of the
episodes of the asthma. There are many types of preventer medications including Flixotide
puffer, Pulmicort Turbuhaler, Qvar Autohaler and Qvar Puffer (Gowan & Roller, 2017).
Most of the adults who suffers from asthma benefits from this treatment if they are provided
with low-dose inhaled corticosteroids. They are generally recommended if a person
experience asthma more than twice in the last month. The long-term dosage of inhaled
corticosteroids might result in notable does of medications being absorbed into the
bloodstream. It may increase the risk of diabetes, cataracts and osteoporosis. The next is the

3CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
relievers. The relievers are the medicines which are also known as the bronchodilators and
they assist in opening up the airways for the people suffering from asthma. They help them in
breathing more easily while they suffer from the asthma attacks. The relievers could be used
as needed basis for getting rid from the symptoms of asthma. The most common examples of
reliever include aromir autohaler, bricanyl turbuhaler, asmol puffer, airomir puffer etc. Some
side effects of it may include headache, hoarse voice, oral thrush, tremor, cough etc. Lastly,
bronchial thermoplasty is a new treatment introduced in Australia for the treatment of
Asthma (Chung et al., 2013). It is a proper treatment for the person who thinks that general
medication could not control their problem and they need some serious treatment for the
same. In this process the doctor puts a small tube into the lungs of the patient and it then gets
start heating around half centimeter of the airways walls that affects the muscle of the
airways. This then reduces the capability of the muscle to narrow the airways. The tube is
then pulled out near about half centimeter and again heat is supplied to that area. However, it
is to be noted that after undergoing this treatment people might experience severe asthma
problem but it will be only temporary and this will resolve within seven days.
4. List the standard asthma management education for parents and children before
discharge (Australian perspective).
Answer- In Australia, before the discharge the parents and children must ensure the
following-
 Ensure that they have sufficient understanding of the asthma, about its triggers and
signs/symptoms.
 They have adequate supply of medication, discharge scripts and spacers.
 They should have WAAP (Written Asthma Action Plan) and they must know how to
use it (Grover et al., 2013)
 They have proper information about the smoking cessation

4CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
 The date of the next appointment
 The parents must know and understand all the physical changes that take place in the
lungs due to asthma.
 They must know why medication has been prescribed to them and their side effects as
well.

5CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
References:
Chung, K. F., Wenzel, S. E., Brozek, J. L., Bush, A., Castro, M., Sterk, P. J., ... & Boulet, L.
P. (2013). International ERS/ATS guidelines on definition, evaluation and treatment of severe
asthma. European Respiratory Journal, erj02020-2013.
Gowan, J., & Roller, L. (2017). Disease state management: Asthma in children. AJP: The
Australian Journal of Pharmacy, 98(1158), 64.
Grover, C., Armour, C., Van Asperen, P. P., Moles, R. J., & Saini, B. (2013). Medication use
in Australian children with Asthma: user’s perspective. Journal of Asthma, 50(3), 231-241.
Langton, D., Sha, J., Ing, A., Fielding, D., & Wood, E. (2017). Bronchial thermoplasty in
severe asthma in Australia. Internal medicine journal, 47(5), 536-541.
Logsdon, S. L., & Oettgen, H. C. (2015). Anti-IgE therapy: clinical utility and mechanistic
insights. In IgE Antibodies: Generation and Function (pp. 39-61). Springer, Cham.
Zuo, L., Ni, L., & Chuang, C. C. (2016). Allergic Asthma Pathogenesis and Antioxidant
Therapy. Frontiers in Clinical Drug Research–Anti Allergy Agents, 2, 45.