Essays on Exacerbations

Capstone Project Milestone 2

Asthma is the most common cause of in-patient admissions in acute care hospitals. Poor education and training of patients with respect to self-care and symptom management has led to an increase in the number of asthmatic patients reporting to the emergency department (ED) or acute care hospitals. It is empirical to understand the cause or trigger factors that relate to acute exacerbations of asthma. Some of the common triggers that causes asthma include exercise, infections, allergens, smoking, infection, gastric problems, hear burns, and indigestion. Based on current evidence, food allergens are considered as the most common form of allergens ...

COPD is a medical condition that is characterized by alteration in lung parenchyma, bronchitis, emphysema and narrowing of the respiratory passages. It occurs as a consequence to chronic inflammation reaction involving the respiratory tract. The mucous secretion and fibrosis associated with chronic inflammation, can cause blockage and narrowing of the airway. Bronchitis refers to inflammation of the inner lining of the lung, while, emphysema is a clinical condition that occurs following the long term destruction of lung parenchyma. Bronchitis and emphysema are both characteristic features of COPD. Destruction of lung parenchyma causes loss of alveolar attachment and decreases the ...

Abstract

COPD is an illness that primarily affects the respiratory system. It is a treatable and preventable illness that is characterized by persistent and progressive limitation of airflow into the lungs. in its severity, COPD is a condition that requires frequent hospitalizations due to exacerbations that occur once there is a trigger effect or the patient is exposed to an allergen. Within the US, COPD is regarded as the third leading cause of death and there is evidence to show that up to 11 million persons have been diagnosed with COPD (Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Inc, 2015). ...

Describe the underlying pathology of COPD and the common pathological characteristics of the condition. Discuss the impact these pathological changes have on normal function, including how alveolar ventilation might be different in Mr Wenham compared to a normal individual. The hallmark pathological attributes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are one, poorly reversible airflow obstruction and two, a progressive atypical inflammatory response within the lungs. The abnormal inflammatory response denotes the responses of the innate and adaptive immune systems to long-standing exposure to noxious gases and particles especially cigarette smoke. Notably, all cigarette smokers have some degree of inflammation ...

Proposed solution

The development of suitable asthma education programs that involve self-efficacy, self-management as well as self-monitoring behaviors and other health promotion strategies for asthma tailored to the pediatric population is the proposed solution or intervention that could be used in addressing the issue of childhood asthma. More importantly, this intervention could help in optimal asthma management as well as foster the involvement of children in daily activities like school, sports as well as play and reduce exacerbation of the disease among pediatric patients. As such, the proposed solution is in agreement with the available evidence on the topic whereby various ...

Background of the problem

Childhood asthma is among the major widespread chronic illnesses affecting the pediatric population. According to CDC, about 6.3 million children in the United States have asthma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Essentially, childhood asthma is mainly characterized by the inflammation of the lungs as well as the airways due to exposure of children to certain triggers that include respiratory infections and inhaling of airborne pollen. Pediatric asthma is associated with various bothersome symptoms that usually interfere with engagement of children in the daily activities such as sports, school and play. In addition, asthma contributes to incidences of ...