Asthma Case Study

During Tina Jones health history assessment, Mrs. Jones stated she was diagnosed with asthma when she was two and half years old. She reports several hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbation, the last being in high school at age 16. Although Mrs. Jones is now 28 years old and has not had any further asthma related hospitalizations, it is apparent after completing her assessment that Mrs. Jones still struggles with asthma control.

Mrs. Jones’ struggle with asthma became evident through her responses when asked about her management and treatment. Mrs. Jones has stated that the need for her rescue inhaler has become more often and at a greater dosages then prescribed. Three days ago Mrs. Jones was exposed to cats, which triggered an asthma attack, and lead to the use of three puffs of the Albuterol inhaler instead of the normal two puffs. Mrs. Jones also reported that the increase use has been occurring two to three times a week. Mrs. Jones was then asked about what symptoms she experiences when around cats and her response was: wheezing, itchy watery eyes, sneezing and asthma exacerbation. She then stated that these symptoms do not typically subside until she has returned home to shower and change her clothing.

From 2001 to 2010, asthma prevalence rose from 7.3% to 8.4%, reveling just a little over a 1% percent growth in nine years (Trends in Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use, and Mortality in the United States, 2001-2010, 2012). This does not appear as an enormous increase until we look at that 1%, as the millions of people affected yearly. In 2009, there was a reported growth of 4.7 million new asthma diagnoses. In 2010 reports showed that there was 10.5 million physician office visits and 1.8 million emergency department visits, responsible for 439,000 hospitalizations and 3,630 deaths (Evidence Summary: Control Asthma,