PRESCRIBING AND ASSESSING FOR ASTHMATIC PATIENTS AT GP PRACTICE
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Prescribing and Assessing for Asthmatic Patients at GP Practice
Reflective of a Child Suffering from Asthma
Assessing and managing asthma among children is a challenging task since incorrect assessment is common, which later affects the quality of life of a child. Thus, reflecting on the entire process of diagnosing and prescribing medication to an asthmatic kid is a significant practice for a caregiver. The reflective process will be facilitated by the use of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. The adoption of this reflective model is essential in enabling one to think systematically concerning an experience one had during a particular situation or event.
Description
Smith, a five and half-year-old boy, was brought to the hospital by his mother after he experienced difficulty in breathing, wheezing, lethargy, and sweating, which had started five hours before seeking medical attention. This necessitated my team and I to carry physical and diagnostic tests meant to identify the cause of these conditions. My workmate, Jenner, took physical assessment by measuring his blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate. I also observed his breathing patterns by observing the movement of his ribs and neck during breathing and any abnormalities on the skin during breathing. These were the first essential indicators that one would check when assessing whether one is suffering from asthma or not.
Feelings
Initially, I felt nervous when Smith was brought to us because of the tension and shock of his mother. However, after getting the facts of the case, I felt confident because I had handled several others before. This enabled me to engage Smith in a conversation and practices meant to assess his condition (Ortiz-Alvarez et al., 2012). Being sure of what I was doing prompted me to coordinate my team members in attending to Smith. I also managed to calm Smith’s teacher down by assuring her that the condition was not severe. Successful diagnostic tests and assessments confirmed to us that Smith was suffering from an asthmatic attack. I felt happy after I realised the cause of the attack and that Smith had suffered from an asthmatic attack at the age of 2 years. Looking back at the situation encourages me to first get the facts of the case and carrying basic diagnostic assessments. My workmates were as well excited when we learned that Smith was suffering from mild asthmatic attacks. The coordination and role-taking of my two coworkers facilitated this diagnosis, which was a win for us all. Consequentially, the event reinforced our cooperation and instant response to emergency cases.
Evaluation
The entire experience was successful because the diagnostic results were positive. This follows the success of the physical assessment done on Smith. However, the initial encounter with the situation was not pleasing. The tension and anxiety of Smith’s mother, as well as Smith’s worsening condition got us freaked and confused. This got us panicking before we composed ourselves and took the initial assessments. I played a crucial role in conducting diagnostic tests meant to identify the causative problem leading to the respiratory tract problem resulting in the narrowing of the airways. My other coworkers also had significant input in identifying carrying Smith’s physical assessment and determining the pathophysiology of the condition.
Analysis
The event served a crucial role in shaping my future response to the children suffering from asthma. I learned that it is imperative for one to first collect the history presenting the complaint, as well as the patient’s social and medical history. This information should be gathered from an informed individual or the patient himself. Besides, I discovered that having the parent in control and assuring them that the situation is under control is paramount to avoiding further confusion during the treatment process. Teamwork also proved to be a significant aspect that one should utilise during emergency cases. Thus, effective coordination of a team is essential to instant response of an emergency in healthcare.
Conclusion
In a similar event in future, I would engage myself in a similar practice to obtain such positive results. I also learned that asthma attack could occur once a person is in contact with his allergens regardless of the period that one has stayed without the seizures. I also discovered that teamwork is an imperative practice in health care for an effective response to urgent situations. In future, I would do the same thing to achieve a positive outcome.
Action Plan
In a similar future case, I will ensure that the patient is calm as well as other parties involved so that I can get the facts of the case right. Such a move will allow me to gather all relevant facts about the conditions suffered by a patient. As a result, I will learn ways of calming and reducing the stress of the patient and those involved in the event. I will also learn about leadership skills so that I can efficiently manage and coordinate my coworkers.
Reflective of an Adult Suffering from Asthma
Aesthetics
After engaging with Paige, I aimed at measuring her lung function by assessing the way air moved in and out while breathing. I achieved this goal by conducting a spirometry test and nitric oxide test (Mayo Clinic Staff 2018). As a result, I learned that Paige was suffering from mild intermittent asthma. However, I discovered that Paige was not using an allergy medication. Thus, I prescribed new medicines to Paige since the current ones were not impactful to her condition. Paige was comfortable with this recommendation since her current medications were not aiding her
Personal
I felt confident and comfortable attending to Paige since she was a referral patient following my expertise in dealing with and treating asthmatic patients. I efficiently conducted tests showing the state of Paige’s asthma condition. The evaluation was successful because I relied on Paige’s knowledge of her health condition and her experience in other medical centres that have attended to her condition. I knew that lack of allergic medications to aid her in reducing her immune system reaction to the dust and pollen allergens.
Ethics
I conducted all required diagnostic tests to ensure that my treatment procedure improves Paige’s health condition. This is because my goal was to do good by prescribing the effective medications that will not harm my patient but aid her in recovering from her ailing conditions. Nevertheless, I engaged in an incongruent way by prescribing new medication to Paige without explaining to her the adverse effects of the new prescription. I did not inform Paige that she will get swellings after injecting herself.
Empirics
Paige’s medical history clearly revealed that she has been asthmatic since her childhood. Besides, her current symptoms conformed to those of an asthmatic patient. Wheezing at high pitch sounds and airway obstruction syndrome are among the critical signs of asthmatic patients. Besides, she has been experiencing asthmatic attacks after encountering with her allergens, yet she did not have a medication to aid her immune system in responding to the allergens.
Reflexivity
Both patients, Smith and Paige, exhibited similar symptoms only that the severity of their signs was different. Besides, wheezing sounds while breathing out and difficulty in breathing was common between the two patients. The experience I have amassed in both situations will enable me to handle such cases in future more comfortable and professional. In future, I will ensure that I assess the entire health conditions of a patient before settling on one condition. This will enable me to rule out other potential conditions with similar symptoms. Likewise, I will evaluate the triggering factors that have resulted in the deterioration of the health conditions of a patient like Piage who had her condition under medical control. I will also involve patients in every treatment decision to ensure that my patients are aware of therapeutic adjustments made during treatment. The impact of these alternative actions is that only the right illness will be treated. Besides, I will engage my patients in an educative session meant to inform them about the causes, management, and prevention of their health condition.
This experience has been impactful by enlightening me on ways of approaching a situation from a diverse angle. I have discovered the essence of teamwork and patients’ input in their treatment process. As a result, I will support my fellow workmates as a way of facilitating the treatment process. Consequently, in the future, I will take a leadership-learning course meant to aid me in managing and coordinating my team. By taking this course, I will focus on improving my communication, management, and leadership skills required to solve uncertainty in the workplace and enhance collaboration among workers.
Reference List
Mayo Clinic Staff. 2018. Asthma: Steps in testing and diagnosis. Mayoclinic. [Online] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/in-depth/asthma/art-20045198. Accessed 27 October 2019.
Ortiz-Alvarez, O., Mikrogianakis, A., Canadian Paediatric Society and Acute Care Committee, 2012. Managing the paediatric patient with an acute asthma exacerbation. Paediatrics & Child Health, 17(5), pp.251-255.
