ABSTRACT
This chapter uses the patient scenario of Mr Steven Twedell, a 34-year-old man with asthma who developed community-acquired pneumonia. He also has atopic eczema and Down’s syndrome. Asthma is a relatively common chronic disorder that can seriously impair breathing and can have a major impact on the person’s lifestyle. Explored in this chapter are some of the medicines that would be used to treat these disorders and the medicines management issues that nurses will have to consider when helping Mr Twedell to manage asthma, eczema and community-acquired pneumonia. These issues include accurate assessment, consent, patient education, non-discriminatory practice and the prevention and management of infection. Learning outcomes
At the end of this chapter you should be able to:
Give an overview of asthma, atopic eczema, community-acquired pneumonia and Down’s syndrome
Discuss the potential impact of asthma on an individual
Identify the pharmacological approaches used to manage asthma, atopic eczema and community-acquired pneumonia
Describe how anatomical and physiological differences can have an impact on respiration and inhalation techniques
Identify the nursing knowledge needed to help this patient manage his disorders
Identify supporting nursing interventions for this patient
Discuss some of the legal issues related to people with Down’s syndrome who become acutely ill.
