The Paramedic Student’s Guide to the Asthma Patient

In this week's podcast, you will learn

1.  The pathophysiology behind an asthma attack

2.  The three types of asthma attacks

3.  The role of bronchodilators and corticosterioids in the treatment of asthma.

Additional Resources for Students

The Pathophysiology of Asthma-The Khan Academy

What is Asthma-Dr. Alex Thomas

Paramedic Student Review Questions:

Of the following, which would be considered an extrinsic trigger for an atopic asthma attack?

A.  Viral infection

B.  Bacterial infection

C.  Stress

D. None of the above

The correct answer is C. Stress. The other responses indicate nonatopic asthma triggers and all of them are instrinsic.

 

Why might your bronchodilator not be effective in the status asthmaticus patient?

A.  Medicine is out of date

B.  Severity of the bronchospasm

C.  Rapidity of respiratory rate

D.  Poor cardiac output

The correct answer is B.  Because the bronchospasm is so severe, there may be difficulty in getting the medicine down to the lower bronchioles.