What modern devices can make life easier for a child with bronchial asthma
Bronchial asthma is a disease with which one must always be on the alert. But how not to miss the moment and take the drug on time? And how to properly deliver this drug to the body? To do this, various devices have been developed to help patients with bronchial asthma, which we will discuss in this article.
Inhalation drugs for long-term (basic) and emergency therapy (for relief of seizures) 1-3
A patient with bronchial asthma can feel bad quite abruptly and unpredictably – no one knows when an attack will occur. Now for the treatment of bronchial asthma, there are different types of inhalers, both for stopping attacks and for long-term therapy. Among modern devices that can improve the quality of life of a child with bronchial asthma are metered-dose inhalers and nebulizers.
The metered dose inhaler is used quite often. The dose of the drug in it is determined in advance, and its effectiveness and safety are confirmed by clinical studies. Such an inhaler can be either aerosol or powder.
An aerosol inhaler is a hermetically sealed container in which a drug designed to relieve bronchial obstruction is under pressure and gas is used to spray it. In a powder inhaler, there is no gas or pressure, and the release of the drug occurs under the influence of the air flow created by the patient’s inhalation. The advantage of a powder inhaler is that it does not require coordination of inhalation and pressure on the inhaler to activate it. It is enough to take a breath while holding the mouthpiece of the device between your teeth.
As an active ingredient, both aerosol and powder inhalers contain either a drug with a strong anti-inflammatory effect ( glucocorticosteroid ), or a drug that relaxes the muscles of the bronchi, or both of these drugs together. It is very important to follow all the steps of using the inhaler in accordance with the instructions for its use, it is the exact implementation of these steps that will allow you to inhale correctly.
PROJECT EXPERT
Ivanova Natalya Alexandrovna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Children’s Diseases of the Military Medical Academy. S. M. Kirov, St. Petersburg
Pocket inhalers for relieving an attack are a very useful and even indispensable thing for a patient with bronchial asthma. They allow you to quickly, regardless of where the child is, relieve an asthma attack, provide first aid. The presence of an inhaler removes the fear in children and parents of the threat of a sudden onset of suffocation.
Important! Rules for using an aerosol inhaler 4
one
Remove cap.
2
Shake the inhaler.
3
Exhale.
four
Place the mouthpiece between your teeth, squeezing it with your lips, and start inhaling slowly. At the same time, you should press the bottom of the can and inhale to the end.
5
Try to hold your breath for at least 3 seconds.
6
Take a slow breath.
7
Put on the protective cap.
Important! Rules for using a powder inhaler 1.3
one
Unscrew and remove the cap.
2
Hold the inhaler upright with the dispenser down. Load the dose into the inhaler by turning the dispenser counterclockwise until it stops, and then turn the dispenser to its original position until it clicks.
3
Exhale. Do not exhale through the mouthpiece. Remove the inhaler from your mouth before exhaling.
four
Gently close the mouthpiece with your teeth, purse your lips and inhale deeply and forcefully through your mouth. The mouthpiece must not be chewed or strongly clenched with teeth.
5
If more than one dose is required, repeat steps 2-5.
6
Close the inhaler with a cap.
7
Rinse your mouth with water.
Nebulizer 2
The nebulizer is a universal system for inhaling drugs in bronchial asthma, in older children it is more often used only in case of exacerbation, and in children of the first years of life and for long-term basic therapy. The nebulizer turns the drug into an aerosol, which allows the drug to penetrate into the bronchi and lungs with calm breathing, acting exactly where it is needed. Nebulizer inhalation is used for maintenance therapy and therapy of exacerbations of bronchial asthma with solutions and suspensions of a wide variety of drugs, including the so-called “hormones” ( glucocorticosteroids ) and bronchodilators . Nebulizer therapy is widely used in the treatment of exacerbations of bronchial asthma in the ambulance, emergency departments and specialized departments of medical institutions.
PROJECT EXPERT
Ivanova Natalya Alexandrovna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Children’s Diseases of the Military Medical Academy. S. M. Kirov, St. Petersburg
Often the word “hormones” in parents causes a whole range of negative emotions: from mild panic to aggressive rejection of the doctor’s proposal to give the child a course of treatment with hormonal drugs. These parents are understandable. We have all heard about hormone addiction and the side effects of hormone therapy in children. Such fears are justified if, with an extremely severe course of bronchial asthma, it is necessary to carry out a long course of treatment with hormones in tablets. Such therapy is prescribed only if all known less dangerous methods of treatment have been exhausted. Inhaled glucocorticosteroids are used in the treatment of children with mild, moderate and severe bronchial asthma. In accordance with the severity of the disease, a dose of drugs is prescribed. Doses are low, medium and high. These drugs act directly on the bronchial mucosa in such a way that the inflammation subsides and the threat of developing irreversible changes in the bronchial wall disappears, the risk of exacerbations decreases, and the quality of life of children and their parents improves 2 .
Important! Rules for parents of a child with nebulizer therapy 1, 3
one
Only sterile needles and syringes should be used to fill the nebulizer chamber, if needed.
2
As a solvent, it is permissible to use only sterile saline.
3
During inhalation, the child should be in a sitting position, not talking, holding the nebulizer upright and breathing deeply, slowly, through the mouth.
four
After inhalation of glucocorticosteroids , rinse your mouth with water and spit, wash your face with water.
Important! Preparations for inhalation therapy can be used only when prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision. Before inhalation, be sure to check the expiration date of the drug.
Peak flow meter : symptoms under control 2.3
The first task of a patient with bronchial asthma is symptom control. Therefore, it is desirable for each patient to have this small, lightweight and convenient device, which makes it possible to determine the volume of air passing during exhalation per unit time, that is, the peak expiratory flow rate (measured in liters per minute). This speed is fixed by the device and informs about how open the airways are. The obtained indicators are daily entered in the diary of self-control. Regular use of a peak flowmeter ( peakflowmetry ) is what you need to understand the course of bronchial asthma in you. Long-term monitoring of asthma with a peak flow meter will help make asthma more predictable.
PROJECT EXPERT
Ivanova Natalya Alexandrovna
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Children’s Diseases of the Military Medical Academy. CM. Kirov, St. Petersburg
It is very difficult to find the cause of deterioration, especially since there are usually several of them. Does the child really feel worse at home, but better at the grandmother’s, or vice versa? Does the change in the weather affect him or does it just seem to you? How does physical activity affect a child? Has his condition really worsened, or does he just not want to go to an unloved lesson? How to evaluate the correctness of changes in the diet? And peak flowmetry can help answer this question . She will back up your subjective feelings with her objective figures. A small detail is very important: the indicators of the peak flow meter begin to decline earlier than the child, and with him you will feel the deterioration of his condition. Don’t forget about it!
Important! Peakflowmetry will help …
- Monitor the patency of the bronchi and notice the deterioration in time.
- Daily filling of the diary can give the attending physician valuable information about the course of the disease, allows the smallest patient and his parents to understand how stable the condition is and whether there are signs of an approaching exacerbation of bronchial asthma.
- If there are signs of exacerbation, the patient can consult a doctor in a timely manner or adjust the therapy according to the plan drawn up by the doctor. Such measures avoid a pronounced exacerbation of the disease and, ultimately, reduce the amount of additional drugs and the risk of hospitalizations.