Nursing Assessment for Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm.
Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
Asthma is clinically classified according to the frequency of symptoms, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow rate. Asthma may also be classified as atopic (extrinsic) or non-atopic (intrinsic).
Nursing Assessment for Asthma
Assessment of nursing in asthma patients, as follows:
Past medical history:
Assess personal or family history of previous lung disease.
Assess history of allergic reaction or sensitivity to the substances / environmental factors.
Assess patient's employment history.
Activities:
The inability to perform activities because of difficulty breathing.
The decline in the ability / improvement needs help doing daily activities.
Sleep in a sitting position higher.
Respiratory:
Dipsnea at rest or in response to activity or exercise.
Breath worsened when the patient lay supine in bed.
Using the breathing aids drug, for example: raising the shoulders, widen the nose.
The existence of wheezing breath sounds.
The recurrent coughing.
Circulation:
There is an increasing blood pressure.
There is an increasing frequency of heart.
The color of skin or mucous membranes normal / gray / cyanosis.
Flushing or sweating.
Integrity ego:
Anxiety
Fear
Sensitive stimulation
Fidget
Nutrient intake:
Inability to eat due to respiratory distress.
Weight loss due to anorexia.
Social relations:
The limited physical mobility.
Hard talk
The existence of dependence on others.
Sexuality:
Decrease in libido
Source : http://nursing-assessment.blogspot.com/2011/06/nursing-assessment-for-asthma.html