HEENT and Respiratory Infections

Case

Katherine, as described in the case study, is asthmatic and has been using albuterol inhaler every four hours for one day. She also took the prescribed oral glucocorticoids as per the five prescribed days. After two days, when she returned to the clinic she had improved, and thereupon examination, her lungs were clear to auscultation. An albuterol inhaler was issued for her to use when need is as well as an asthma action plan.

Use of Antibiotics in Treating Asthma

While the use of antibiotics has been very debatable on their effectiveness and effects, some recent research conductive has proved the effectiveness of antibiotics in dealing with asthma. For this reason, I would suggest the incorporation of antibiotics into the treatment plan of asthma. According to the recent research, it was found out that antibiotics reduced the number of sick days resulting from asthma attacks in young children by more than 50% (Hoffmann, 2016). It has also been shown that some bacterial infection contributes to tightening of airways among the asthmatic patients. Therefore, some limited use of antibiotics may be an important boost to the treatment plan for asthma.

The standards regarding the use of antibiotics in pediatric population

The guidelines offered to point out that 50-80% of children with asthma develop before five years. The disease is also highly under diagnosed. The standard for the use of antibiotics for treating asthma among children should be used for children who have had a historic high rate of antibiotics. Children with asthma are more prone to respiratory infections. This requires a diagnosis to identify the respiratory infection that may be present thereby prescribe the right antibiotic to be incorporated into the asthma treatment plan. (Stallworth, Fick, Ownby, & Waller, 2005).

Asthma Action Plan

The treatment regime that would best suite this patient will include pharmacologic management using agents for control and agents for relief. There will also be a prescribed need for controlling the environmental factors and comorbid conditions. The prescribed daily dose for the patient will be80-160umg Beclomethazone, 180-400 umg Budesonide, and 80-176 mg Fluticazone. An albuterol inhaler will be issued and prescribed to use in the instances where the patient experiences instances of difficult breathing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, continuous coughing or blocked chest. The patient will also require a visit to the clinic every two days for four weeks to a follow-up and establish the effectiveness of the prescriptions. This will also be adjusted after environmental adjustment where the specific triggers may successfully be avoided.

Etiology, diagnosis, and management of a child who is wheezing

Children and infants are prone to wheezing due during respiratory infections. This is associated with the anatomic factors caused by anatomic factors related to lung and chest as well as the immunologic and molecular factors. The diagnoses may consider the age of the children. This is because wheezing among children is a common problem among younger children but the condition improves with time. Age consideration is therefore important as it helps in the assessment of the development of childhood asthma. This includes a proper categorization of the wheezing phenotypes (Potter, 2010). This helps in understanding the children at risk of developing asthma (El-Gamal & El-Sayed, 2011).

The role of the diagnosis will be too aimed at identifying whether the wheezing is a result of an allergy, asthma, immune-deficiency disorder, or due to basic inflammatory disorder. The aim of diagnosis will ensure proper identification of the cause of wheezing thereby prescribe quick-relief treatment and advice on reduction of risk.

References

El-Gamal, Y. M., & El-Sayed, S. S. (2011). Wheezing in infancy. The World Allergy Organization Journal, 4(5), 85–90.

Hoffmann, T. (2016). Antibiotics are Effective at Treating Asthma. Science Nordic.

Potter, P. C. (2010). Current guidelines for the management of asthma in young children. Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research, 2(1), 1–13.

Stallworth, L., Fick, D., Ownby, D., & Waller, J. (2005). Antibiotic Use in Children Who Have Asthma: Results of Retrospective Database Analysis. Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.