Exploring Modern Research Regarding Treatment and Prevention of Asthma

This report investigates modern research concerning the treatment and prevention of asthma, a significant health concern affecting millions. It begins with an introduction to the disease, its prevalence, and the impact on healthcare systems. The research aim focuses on exploring current treatments and preventative measures. A literature review examines recent articles, including studies on HMGB1 protein, calcium sensing receptors, and the use of nebulizers. The methodology section outlines the research approach, including sampling techniques, data collection methods (surveys and questionnaires), data analysis (qualitative and quantitative), ethical considerations, and limitations. The findings and discussions section presents qualitative data from doctors, addressing topics such as treatment methods, immunotherapy, and preventive actions. The report aims to provide insights into the latest advancements and challenges in asthma management, offering a comprehensive overview of the current state of research and practice in the field. The report also highlights the role of paramedics and other healthcare professionals in asthma care, emphasizing the importance of patient education and environmental control.

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1. Introduction
Hospitals in the UK have separate accident and emergency units for children and adults who
are suffering from asthma. Depending on the intensity of the problem on pre assessment or
triage, a nurse can give attention to the patient who need urgent care and thus who are in less
critical condition may have to wait. Initial treatment depends on triage assessment and it can
include steroids in the form of tablets and liquids that can be injected into the vein of the
patient or a nebuliser is also used to stabilise the patient prior treatment.
Threats of asthma can make a patient paralysed by his fear and he may struggle to breathe,
speak or ask for help. Currently one in every eleven people suffers from asthma and
regarding household area, one in five people get affected by this (Asthma UK 2007a; Asthma
UK 2007b; Asthma UK 2007c). Around 5.4 million people get affected by asthma and in
every ten seconds, a patient gets life threatening attack of asthma in the UK. Each day, at
least three families have to face the death of their loved one due to an asthma attack. On a
recent survey, it was seen that 2/3rd of these deaths can be preventable. Currently 5.4
million people are on treatment for asthma which includes 4.3 million adults and 1.1 million
children (Asthma UK 2007a; Asthma UK 2007b; Asthma UK 2007c). The NHS spends
approximately 1 billion every year to care and treat asthma patients and in 2015, 1468 people
die from asthma.
Asthma is thus attaining a serious threat of prolong suffering in US and the rate is increasing
rapidly so, being a student of paramedical science this topic is really interesting to explore
and thus the subject was selected. The whole assignment will be explorative in nature and
will contain both primary and secondary data thus, it will have both qualitative and
quantitative aspects.

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2. Research aim
The aim of this research is to explore modern research regarding treatment and prevention of
asthma.
3. Background and relevance of the research
The serious rate of mortality, morbidity and prevalence of this disease has really created a
great impact on the researchers regarding inventions of modern treatment and scoping out
ways to prevent this disease. Various research articles are published which showed and
explained how can this be mitigated and lives can be saved. Till now, there had been stages
of development in treatments for preventing this disease (Atsjournals 2017).
As per (Asthma UK 2007a; Asthma UK 2007b; Asthma UK 2007c), nebulisers are one of the
effective machines that can stabilise a patient who is having an asthma attack to some extent.
It can be given both in the ambulance and in home. Nebulisers are machines that can convert
high doses of liquid machine into fine mist making it easier for the patient to breathe through
a piece or a facemask. It is also prescribed by the doctors during any certain test of the patient
and during the diagnosis. Different sized face masks are available for babies and children
who are suffering from the same. Nebulisers are often used by patient himself or my care
staffs in the situation when the patient’s severe asthma attack can be preventable. It is given
to open up the airways and drugs like ipratropium bromide, salbutamol are used via
nebulisers. The effect of medicine through the nebuliser will last for five to ten minutes and
thus it aids the patient to get admitted to the hospital for serious attention. In the UK,
clinicians in the ambulance include paramedic staffs, advance paramedic professionals
specialised in primary care or trauma and emergency care assistants (Shaw and Siriwardena

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2017). All these staffs provide necessary assessment and care at home for the patients in
times of need and they also arrange for ambulance so that the patient could be taken to the
hospital.
In earlier 19th century Belladonna alkaloids were used. Then in the mid-20th century,
corticosteroids were introduced for treating asthma and for the last forty years there have
been an intensive research regarding this disease and inception of anti IgE, antileukotrienes
and cromones were noted.
Thus this research will focus on the modern inventions of the researchers and various
research journals regarding prevention and treatment of asthma.
4. Literature review
The researchers recently published an article regarding asthma in 2017 in Science Daily, that
their research can enlighten the hopes of prolong sufferers of asthma for better survival. They
had investigated and had found improved treatments to generate hopes of cure for this people
(ScienceDaily 2017). The students of university of Leicester discovered an active form of a
key protein called HMGB1, as per their research, it is seen that narrowing of air passage in
asthma patients is linked with increase in amount in HMGB1 protein. An experiment was
carried out on mucous collected from asthma patients (includes both mild and severe) and
also from healthy people (ScienceDaily 2017). The result although didn’t prove to be 100%
fruitful and thus the researchers are still working on new therapies and allergy related asthma
to ensure a better treatment (ScienceDaily 2017). But this detection of the link between
HMGB1 protein and severe asthma has aided drug makers to a great extent. Another research
article was published in 2015 which established connection of calcium sensing receptors

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linked to asthma (ScienceDaily 2017). The researchers had collected human airway tissue
both from the sufferers and healthy people and had experimented in mice. They found that
calcium sensing receptors are more intensified on the lung tissues of the asthma patients in
comparison to the healthy lung tissues (NHS UK 2017). The group of researcher also
declared that this is one of the contributory factor behind massive inflammation in asthma.
They found that calcitriol, which is used to treat osteoporosis is reducing the inflammation in
rats but the affectivity of the same in human asthma patients is still under investigation (NHS
UK 2017).
As per (Emedicine Medscape 2017a; Emedicine Medscape 2017b), some people suffering
from asthma can maintain their athletic lifestyles while some other can be hospitalised for life
threatening exacerbations. The symptoms of asthma can range from mild to severe. As per
discussions above, bronchospasm- swelling of the airways and its blockage leads to excess
formation of mucous which leads to difficulty in breathing in asthma patients. Medical care
includes control of acute episodes of asthma attacks. Inhaled corticosteroids, long acting
bronchodilators like beta antagonist and anticholinergic are used. To relief the patient from
asthma symptoms, medications like systemic corticosteroids, ipratropium and short acting
bronchodilators are to be used.
As per (Emedicine Medscape 2017a; Emedicine Medscape 2017b), environmental control is
also important to prevent persistent asthma and the paramedic expert also play an important
role to educate the patient in a correct format. Skin testing are sometimes done to identify
sensitivity to perennial indoor allergens, education to avoid tobacco smoking which includes
both first and second hand exposure must be induced to the patient.

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5. Research Methodology
The research methodology comprises the tools and techniques that researcher will use to
derive the outcomes in an appropriate way. This part will include data collection procedures,
sampling techniques, data analysis techniques, ethical considerations and research limitations.
5a. Sample and Sampling Techniques
The objective of this research is to focus on the preventive measurements of Asthma.
Therefore, for conducting this research in an appropriate manner, random sampling procedure
will be used by the researcher (Taylor et al 2015; Holloway & Galvin 2016). The main reason
of using random sampling is to aid the researcher to arrange the collected samples with ease.
Moreover, with its help, samples can be fairly collected from the respondents. In this study,
50 patients and 8 doctors will include and the information will be collected from them.
5b. Data collection procedures
Like it has been mentioned earlier, both primary and secondary data will be in use to conduct
this academic research. The primary data will contain relevant and accurate information and
thus it will be based on reality (Taylor et al 2015; Holloway & Galvin 2016). The primary
data will aid the researcher to get relevant and accurate information (Lin 2016). The
secondary data will aid the researcher to conduct his study in a fruitful manner and it is time
saving, cost effective so, it will help to complete this academic research within the stipulated
time. For gathering primary data, survey and questionnaires were conducted (Taylor et al
2015; Holloway & Galvin 2016). The sources of secondary data are websites, books, journals
and newspapers.

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5c. Data analysis techniques
Analysing the collected data is an important part of a research to conclude a result. The data
analysis will help the researcher to interpret the issue to derive its outcomes in a successful
manner (Taylor et al 2015; Holloway & Galvin 2016). For analysing information and data in
an appropriate manner, both qualitative and quantitative data will be used.
5d. Ethical consideration
Without ethical considerations, researcher cannot conduct his study in a fruitful manner. Data
privacy is the first ethical consideration of the researcher and it must be kept in mind that the
information that are collected must be kept in a secret manner so that it doesn’t get expose
and it will ensure that the data will be used for academic purpose only (Heaney et al 2016).
The researcher will also not manipulate any collected information which will also ensure that
it is an academic research (Heaney et al 2016). The researcher will not persuade any
respondent to give him time for his questions and he must seek their approval before taking
some of their time. As the research also need a great deal of cooperation and coordination, the
researcher must respect the trust, mutual respect and accountability of his respondents in an
effective manner (Heaney et al 2016). All these will ensure that the researcher follows the
ethical consideration for conducting his research in a successful manner.
5e. Research limitation
The main limitation of this research lies in the fact that it is an academic research so
accumulation of information will be limited so, effective conclusions cannot be withdrawn
from this research but an overview of the topic can be represented. The group of researchers
who are involved as respondents in this study might not disclose full information details of
their research. Apart from these, time and finance are also limited for any academic research.

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5f. Findings and Discussions
After conducting survey and questionnaire to the respondents, the researcher can obtain
various results which will help him to interpret his findings and to draw a valid conclusion.
The following questionnaires that will be discussed below will help the doctors to derive
valid outcomes.
Qualitative analysis:
Question 1.
What is the latest mode of treatment of patients who are suffering from asthma?
Ans: the doctors told that there are mainly two types of asthma treatments- quick relief and
prolong medication. The long term medications include inhaled corticosteroid,
Methylxanthines, oral corticosteroids, immunomodulators, cromolyn sodium and
antileukotrienes. Quick relief medications include Short-acting inhaled beta2-agonists and
Anticholinergics.
Question 2
What are the most common immunotherapy in asthma?
Ans: the doctors said that allergy shots and sublingual tablets are the two immunotherapy to
control this. Allery shots remove allergy symptoms that trigger asthma and builds immunity
in that person to combat those allergens while sublingual tablets are not given to severe
asthma patients and only a few allergens can be treated with this.
Question 3
How to plan preventive actions regarding asthma?

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Ans: the doctors divided the action plans into three stages- green zone, yellow zone and
medical alert. Green zone means when there is no wheeziness, tightness, shortness of breath
and cough and when the person can do his usual activities. At this phase inhaled
corticosteroids are prescribed as long term medication. Yellow zone means the patient’s
condition is getting worse with the above mentioned symptoms and his activities become
hindered. Quick relief medicine is advised at this point. Red zone means medical alert when
quick relief medicine fails and the patient can’t do any activities at all.
Question 4
Does a nebuliser play an important role making the patient stabilise temporarily?
Ans: Nebulisers are effective for 10- 15 minutes only and high dose of medicines are
discharged through it enabling the patient to get hospital attention in necessity.
Some questionnaires are also asked to the patients also-
Question 1
How do green, yellow zones and medical alert stages have been successful to prevent
asthma?
Ans: Most of the patients told that by following this stature, they were able to fetch medical
attention at the right time and their situation is under control now.
Benefited by the successive preventive
stages
Not benefitted by the successive preventive
stages
85% 15%
Question 2
What type of immunotherapy has mostly benefitted them?

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Ans: Maximum patients reported that allergy shots has been more effective and some are still
continuing that. They are able to get less infected and thus inflammation from asthma was
noticed at a lower level. Only few told that sublingual tablets have been effective but they are
generally restricted for prolong use.
Allergy shots Sublingual tablets
92% 8%
Question 3
Which type of medications they mostly undergo?
Ans:
Anti-leukotriene Inhaled
corticosteroids
Immunomodulators Oral corticosteroids
76% 54% 87% 92%
Question 4
How many patients were in stable mode with the use of nebuliser?
Ans:
Stable with nebuliser Unstable with nebuliser
82% 17%

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5g. Strengths and weakness
The strength of this research is that it is an academic one so, most of the respondents will feel
free to assist the researcher (Sweeney et al 2016). The researcher will thus get the opportunity
to explore deep into the topic to draw a valid conclusion (Sweeney et al 2016).
The weakness of this research is that the time is limited and so does the funding also. Thus, it
limits exploration of the research and just gives an overview of the topic.
6. Conclusion
As described earlier, asthma is a serious threat in recent times in USA and number of
sufferers are still increasing rapidly day by day and is causing a great concern. 1 in 12
(approx. 25 million) people in US are diagnosed with asthma every year and the medical
expenditure regarding asthma accounts for $56 billion in medical costs. This research was
undertaken with an aim to explore modern research regarding treatment and prevention of
asthma. From this assignment, it is now cleared that researchers are still researching new
techniques to aid the sufferer of asthma and also to aid the drug makers of asthma. Till now,
the Immunomodulators and corticosteroids have been of great help to the patients and the
successive stages of medical attention i.e., green and yellow zones and medical alert have
also helped the patients to take precautions before it is too late.

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https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/treatments-a-and-e/
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