severe+asthma+attack

=Severe Asthma Attack=

//You are asked by a customer on how to recognise an asthma attack and what to do.//

Problem
Recognising the symptoms will allow treatment to be administered quickly

What to do
//An asthma attack can develop in anything from a few minutes to a few days.// Signs include: - shortness of breath - severe chest tightness - being unable to speak more than one or two words per breath - distress - little or no improvement after using reliever medication - sucking in of the throat and lips - blue colour around the lips (cyanosis)
 * Recognising:**

- Sit the person comfortably upright. Be calm and reassuring. //Employ the 4x4x4 which is simply: four puffs of reliever medication, one puff at a time, with four breaths after each puff, wait four minutes and then repeat.// - Give 4 puffs of a blue **Reliever** inhaler (puffer) – //Ventolin, Airomir, Bricanyl, or Asmol.// Relievers are best given through a **spacer**, if available. Use 1 puff at a time and ask the person to take 4 breaths from the spacer after each puff. Use the person’s own inhaler if possible. If not, use the First Aid kit inhaler or borrow one from someone else - Wait 4 minutes. If there is no improvement, give another 4 puffs. - If little or no improvement, CALL AN AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY (DIAL 000) and state that the person is having an asthma attack. Keep giving 4 puffs every 4 minutes until the ambulance arrives.
 * What to do:**
 * - Children:** 4 puffs each time is a safe dose.
 * - Adults:** up to 6 - 8 puffs every 5 minutes may be given for a severe attack while waiting for the ambulance.

- No harm is likely to result from giving a Reliever to someone who does not have asthma. - If in doubt, give more puffs - there is no significant harm in giving too much (only tachycardia, tremor)

Resources
[|National Asthma Council]: emergency asthma management [|Emergency Asthma Management Chart]: contains information on how to assess the severity of an asthma attack and their treatments (includes hospital treatments) [|Self-care Card: Asthma]: includes information on how to recognise an asthma attack