What it means
Also called an asthma exacerbation or flare. Triggers include viral infections, allergens, smoke, cold air, exercise and stress. The muscles around the airways tighten (bronchospasmBRONG-koh-spaz-umA sudden tightening of the muscles around the airways that narrows them.bronch/o bronchus-spasm sudden involuntary contractionFull entry ) and the lining swells, so air is hard to move, especially out. Most attacks respond to a quick-relief inhaler, but a severe attack that does not respond, called status asthmaticus, is life-threatening.
For the nurse
Sit the client upright, give the quick-relief bronchodilator (albuterolal-BYOO-ter-olA fast-acting inhaled drug that relaxes and opens the airways.Full entry ) and oxygen as ordered, and stay with them. A chest that becomes quiet, with little air moving, can mean the attack is getting worse, not better. Teach clients an asthma action plan and how to avoid their triggers.
At a glance
| Spanish | ataque de asma |
|---|---|
| Also written | asthma attacks, asthma exacerbation, asthma exacerbations |
Related terms
wheezing
A high-pitched, whistling sound made as air moves through narrowed airways.
asthma
A long-term lung disease in which the airways become inflamed and narrow from time to time.
bronchodilator
A drug that relaxes the muscles around the airways so they open wider.
albuterol
A fast-acting inhaled drug that relaxes and opens the airways.
bronchospasm
A sudden tightening of the muscles around the airways that narrows them.