Cochrane - Article Review Essay Example

Respiratory illness is a common problem in both developing and developed nations. Asthma is one of the most common respiratory illnesses around the globe. It is one of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD). Genetic susceptibility among other etiologies has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Cochrane analyzes personalized asthma action plans for adults with asthma. Normally, the primary aim of asthma care is to empower patients to take control of their conditions. Asthma primarily affects the lungs making it difficult for the victims to breathe. There is a need to focus on asthma action plans, individualized action plans, and self-management action plans (Evans et al. 2017). People with severe asthma are advised to seek immunodeficiency therapy. The main goal of treatment includes total control of night and daytime symptoms, prevention of exacerbations, and normal exercise.

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NMBA Registered Nurse Standard Practices

The assessment aligns with various NMBA standards such as competency in therapeutic and professional relationships, appropriate and responsive quality nursing practice, and the need to accommodate the ever-changing complexities of health care, patient safety, and service delivery. These standards are critical to the nursing practice because they are both patient and nurse-centred and they may include considering and engaging families and communities in nurse practice. A registered nurse is obliged to develop practice through reflection on experiences, knowledge, feelings, actions, and beliefs and analyze how these shape the practice. In the case of asthma, nurses should maintain records and accurately and comprehensively document assessments, decision-making, and planning. A registered nurse should establish and sustain relationships in a way that is respectful and acknowledges the dignity, beliefs, values, and rights of the people living with asthma.

Background

This review is about asthma and the levels of avoidable morbidity and death from the condition. It is meant to unearth the main causes of illness and how to reduce the risk of an exacerbation for people who have had acute exacerbation resulting in admission to hospitals. The review also identifies gaps in the evidence on which certain guidelines are based. Some of the parts of the review that are relevant to me as a student nurse include the intervention plans, outcome measures, data collection and analysis, and the results.

Severe asthma can be countered by support, treatment in both primary care and specialist centres, and through adequate assessment (Mayeux, Arekapudi & Amiri, 2018). In most patients, asthma is managed with an inhaled corticosteroid. However, some patients require additional maintenance therapies such as leukotriene receptor antagonists or regular oral corticosteroid. Health care professionals are required to conduct asthma education in an effort to create awareness. In most nations, a lack of education and medication noncompliance is among the greatest reasons why people with asthma exacerbation end up in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The focus should be on the right strategy that can make it possible to identify patients at risk and provide enhanced care and education for asthma control.

Objectives

This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of certain treatment methods and whether the National Asthma Education Prevention Plan guidelines for asthma assessment and management are in line with the healthcare goals. It is also meant to identify asthma epidemiology. Moreover, the review aims to analyze whether uncontrolled asthma can lead to mortality and morbidity.

Interventions/Methods

A multi-faceted self-management education (individualized self-management instructions which enable patients to attain control of asthma in the event of acute exacerbation) is employed. Another intervention plan is based on symptom-based plans which include objective cues to promote early detection of asthma medications, symptoms, and actions to take in the event of an acute episode (Evans et al. 2017). To refine interventions, there is the need to identify independent components that contribute to necessary outcomes. Changes in asthma morbidity measures were assessed in relation to the implementation of individual intervention components. The focus was on how to improve process measures through the existing patient self-management education needs.

Results

In clinical trials, outcomes reflect short-term disease activity and long-term treatment effects. Most asthma patients reported at least one exacerbation requiring emergency hospitalization. There is the need to adopt various elements of asthma action plan such as recommended doses, peak flow measurement, warning signs and symptoms that indicate the need for closer acute care, and list of triggers that may cause an asthma attack. Most asthma patients show a significant reduction in the number of work days lost. Based on the asthma symptoms scores, serious adverse events may include even death.

Other secondary outcome measures include a change in respiratory tests and number of exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids (Evans et al. 2017). The review puts more emphasis on long-term treatment effects. The risks and benefits of treatment are critical to patients and useful to policymakers and clinicians. The research took the empirical approach of focusing on aspects of asthma symptoms that would lead to the conclusion by the community and clinician that treatment is either adequate or not.

Conclusions

These findings relate to nursing in various ways. For instance, they take into consideration specific home interventions which are related to a reduction in asthma morbidities such as the need to repair water leaks and reduced exposure to dust and clutter. Healthcare practitioners and the community as a whole should focus on self-management and specific intervention strategies.

Implications for Practice

The review should include advice about the need to recognize the loss of asthma control and assess the symptoms and actions that are in line with the healthcare goals and objectives. One can also argue that the intervention is not useful to both healthcare practitioners and patients with persistent symptoms as well as those with less frequent asthma exacerbation.

References

Evans, J. W. D., Rushton, A., Halcovitch, N. R., Whiteley, G., Gatheral, T. L., & Spencer, S. (2017). Personalised asthma action plans for adults with asthma. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev, 9.

Mayeux, J., Arekapudi, K. L., & Amiri, A. (2018). Asthma action plans in the adult population: Rediscovering an invaluable tool in today's healthcare domain. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30(5), 262-269.