Introduction
The aim of respiratory care is to improve life expectancy and the quality of life of patients. This can be achieved by reducing the incidence of complications resulting from poor control of the medical condition. Increased mortality and morbidity occurs in patients with a poorly managed condition.
Asthma is a reversible airways disease. It is characterised by variable degrees of breathlessness or wheezing, due to widespread narrowing of the airways, caused by an increased responsiveness of the trachea and bronchi to various stimuli.
On average one person every eight hours dies from asthma in the UK and 90% of deaths are preventable.1 In 2018 the condition killed over 1,400 people; an eight per cent increase from the number of fatalities in 20172. In addition one child every 18 minutes is admitted to hospital due to their asthma. In most of these cases the complications resulting from poor compliance and inappropriate therapy can be reversed, providing patients comply with their treatment regimes.
Complications also arise from poor knowledge and control of the condition, pharmacists are well placed to provide patients with education needed to improve these two factors.
COPD is a very common condition with an estimated three million people affected in the UK,3 although around two thirds of this number haven't been diagnosed as yet. COPD is usually a direct result of smoking.There is an increased risk of developing COPD as people get older. Symptoms of COPD are usually first noticed by people in their fifties, although it can be diagnosed in people younger than that. COPD is characterised by lung damage that is non-reversible.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module you will be able to:
- Explain the aetiology of asthma and COPD
- Review the treatment of respiratory disease including the use of inhaler devices
- Offer lifestyle advice to respiratory patients
- Describe adherence issues that may affect respiratory patients
- Provide solutions to those adherence problems