Status asthmaticus
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Status asthmaticus is a severe form of asthma that is unresponsive to usual drug therapy. It can be caused by infections, air pollutants, noncompliance with medications, or aspirin use in sensitive patients. Symptoms include rapid breathing, difficulty exhaling, anxiety, and fatigue. Management involves frequent monitoring, nebulized bronchodilators, corticosteroids, oxygen, suctioning secretions, and mechanical ventilation if needed. Nurses must closely watch for signs of respiratory failure.
Status asthmaticus
- 1. Status Asthmaticus Nenette Dusal, RN
- 2. Status asthmaticus • A severe form of asthma in which the airway obstruction is unresponsive to usual drug therapy.
- 4. • Infection. • Inhalation of air pollutants and allergens to which sensitized. • Noncompliance in taking medications, including overuse of bronchodilators. • Ingestion of aspirin or related drugs in aspirin-sensitive patient. • Aspiration of gastric acid.
- 6. • Tachypnea, labored respirations, with increased effort on exhalation. • Suprasternal retractions, use of accessory muscles of respiration. • Diminished breath sounds, decreased ability to speak in phrases or sentences. • Anxiety, irritability, fatigue, headache, impaired mental functioning.
- 7. • Muscle twitching, somnolence, diaphoresis—from continued carbon dioxide retention. • Tachycardia, elevated BP. • Heart failure and death from suffocation.
- 8. MANAGEMENT AND NURSING INTERVENTIONS
- 9. • Monitor respiratory rate and oxygen saturation continuously; • Frequently monitor arterial blood gas levels, BP, electrocardiogram. • Administer repeated aerosol treatments with beta2-agonist bronchodilators, such as albuterol or levalbuterol
- 10. • Add anticholinergic ipratropium as prescribed • Administer with caution until the metabolic and respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia have been corrected • Monitor I.V. therapy. • Corticosteroids are given to treat inflammation of airways; because these act slowly, their beneficial effects may not be apparent for several hours.
- 11. • Fluids are given to treat dehydration and loosen secretions. • Provide continuous humidified oxygen via nasal cannula as prescribed. • Patients with associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema are at risk for depressed hypoxemic ventilatory drive, thus compounding respiratory insufficiency, so use oxygen cautiously
- 12. • Initiate mechanical ventilation, if necessary. • Assist with mobilization of obstructing bronchial mucus. • Perform chest physiotherapy (chest wall percussion and vibration). • Administer expectorant and mucolytic drugs as prescribed.
- 13. • Remove secretions by suctioning, or prepare for bronchoscopy if needed. • Provide adequate hydration. • Obtain portable chest X-ray and administer antibiotic, as prescribed, to treat any underlying respiratory infection.
- 14. • Alleviate the patient's anxiety and fear by acting calmly and by reassuring the patient during an attack • Stay with the patient until the attack subsides.
- 15. NURSING ALERT In status asthmaticus, the return to normal or increasing partial pressure of carbon dioxide does not necessarily mean that the patient with asthma is improving—it may indicate a fatigue state that develops just before the patient slips into respiratory failure.