Asthma

Asthma is a chronic, reversible obstructive airway disease characterized by airway inflammation, bronchospasm, and mucus hypersecretion. Approximately 3 million Canadians have asthma, making it one of the most common chronic diseases. Most asthma deaths are preventable — they result from delayed treatment, underestimation of severity, and suboptimal use of inhaled corticosteroids. Key characteristic: reversibility. Unlike COPD, asthma airway obstruction is largely (or completely) reversible with bronchodilator treatment. Post-bronchodilator spirometry showing FEV₁ improvement ≥ 12% confirms diagnosis. Extrinsic (allergic) asthma: most common; triggered by allergens — pollen, dust mites, animal dander, mold. IgE-mediated early and late phase reactions. Usually begins in childhood. Intrinsic asthma: non-allergic triggers — cold air, exercise, viral infections, NSAIDs/ASA (aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease), occupational exposures, emotional stress. For NCLEX-RN: Recognize severity, implement SABA protocols, identify status asthmaticus, and know when to escalate. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan: breathing work...