Nursing Process
Assessment
History, precipitating factors, current medication, medication used to relieve asthma symptoms. Any recent changes in medication regimen. Self-care methods used to relieve symptoms.
Physical Examination
- General appearance-apprehensive, sensorium, altered or not.
- Vitals: Tachycardia, Tachypnea, pulses paradoxus
Pulmonary Examination
- Use of accessory muscles to breath.
- Posture-forward breathing.
- Dyspnea
- Prolonged expiration
- Cynosis
- Decreased lateral expansion
- Decreased tremitus
- Hyperresonance
- Decreased diaphragmatic excursion
- Inspiratory and expiratory wheezing
- Rhonchi (as patient gets exhausted due to dyspnea, breath sounds and adventious founds may be absent or faint).