Articles

Role of Hospitals in the Management of Bronchial Asthma

by Sonam S. Professional Writer

Respiratory diseases form one of the most prevalent disease categories worldwide. Bronchial asthma is one such disease that causes extreme distress to the patient and may even cause death in severe cases.

What is bronchial asthma?

Bronchial asthma is a chronic condition in which there is inflammation of the airways. It is characterised by the tightening of respiratory tract muscles, constriction of airways and an increased secretion of mucus. As a result, a patient experiences breathing difficulty, chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, and sleep apnoea. Risk factors include active and passive smoking, exposure to chemicals and pollutants, obesity and genetic factors. The symptoms are manageable by early diagnosis which helps in deciding the course of treatment.


Role of hospital in managing bronchial asthma

Hospitals play an important role in diagnosing and treating the disease.

Diagnosis: Hospitals must be equipped adequately for carrying out the major tests which are listed below.

· Peak flow measurement: This test measures the ability of patients to forcefully blow air out of their lungs. It reveals early symptoms of bronchial asthma. Depending on different zones of the peak flow values, it is possible to say if a person has the disease.

· Imaging tests: X-rays and computed tomography scanning help to understand the morphological condition of the lungs and is useful in the diagnostic process.

· Spirometry: An important pulmonary function test, it involves breathing in and out into a device. The test measures the amount of air entering and leaving the lungs. The graphs obtained indicate the presence or absence of bronchial disease.

· Methacholine challenge test: Methacholine, a drug that can constrict the airways is administered. A person with bronchial asthma will react with declining respiratory function with every increasing dose. The results can help diagnose the disease.

· Nitric oxide test: This test measures the levels of the gas, nitric oxide in a sample of exhaled breath. Higher levels of the gas could signify inflammation of the airways which could be a sign of asthma.

Treatment: Following diagnosis, there must be a proper plan of treatment based on the severity of the disease. Hospitals must have the following features in order to successfully treat patients with bronchial asthma.

· Efficient medical team: The hospital must have efficient doctors to prescribe the right combination of anti-inflammatory drugs and bronchodilators to achieve the best results.

· Emergency services: There must be a section with doctors, nurses and the necessary equipment to treat emergencies like an uncontrollable asthma attack.

· Ambulance service: There must be proper ambulance services to quickly get patients to the hospital during an emergency.

· Wards: There must be proper wards and care units in case the patient has to be admitted.

A person with bronchial asthma can live a normal life provided an individual gets diagnosed and treated properly. Patients with signs and symptoms of the disease must carefully go through the websites of good medical institutions and hospitals for the best treatment options.


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About Sonam S. Junior   Professional Writer

3 connections, 0 recommendations, 17 honor points.
Joined APSense since, July 24th, 2018, From New Delhi, India.

Created on Mar 27th 2019 07:40. Viewed 404 times.

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