Learning Objectives
- Identify the classifications, actions, indications, and side effects of respiratory system drugs used to treat asthma and COPD
- Describe the advantage of using inhalation therapy
- Know the important assessments, patient teaching, and evaluation associated with bronchodilator (beta-2 agonists), anticholinergic, corticosteroid, and leukotriene receptor antagonist medications
- Understand considerations and implications of using respiratory system drugs across the life span
- Identify and interpret related laboratory tests such as pulse oximetry
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Discuss non-drug interventions to decrease frequency of asthma attacks
Every year millions of Americans visit their health care provider for respiratory diseases such as allergies, asthma, bronchitis, common cold, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia.
Currently, more than 25 million people in the United States have asthma. Approximately 14.8 million adults have been diagnosed with COPD, and approximately 12 million people have not yet been diagnosed. The burden of respiratory diseases affects individuals and their families, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, and states. Because of the cost to the health care system, the burden of respiratory diseases also falls on society; it is paid for with tax dollars, higher health insurance rates, and lost productivity. Annual health care expenditures for asthma alone are estimated at $20.7 billion.[1]
Before we learn about medications that are used to treat respiratory conditions in our patients, let’s review the respiratory system.
- This work is a derivative of Respiratory Diseases by Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the Public Domain. ↵
