Nursing Assessment of the Asthma Patient The assessment of a patient with asthma should begin with baseline vital signs, including a pulse oximetry reading. The patient’s lungs should be auscultated, and notation should be made of the patient’s skin color, temperature and moisture. A basic physical examination will also include auscultation of the heart and an abdominal assessment. A baseline peak…
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WHAT IS ASTHMA? Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, associated with recurrent, at least partially reversible airway obstruction with intermittent episodes of wheezing and dyspnea. Bronchial hypersensitivity is caused by various stimuli, which affect the vagus nerve and beta adrenergic receptor cells of the airways, leading to bronchial smooth muscle constriction, hypersecretion of mucus, and mucosal edema….
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Mr. Johnson was called to medical because his recent HIV test was positive. The infectious disease nurse at the medium security prison informed him of his results, and began to discuss with him what this means to his life. She also reviewed the treatment plan that had been developed for him by the provider. He nodded in the affirmative each…
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