Asthma action plan

Transcript

Narrator: Do you have an asthma action plan? An asthma action plan helps you to recognize when you or your child's asthma is getting worse and reminds you what to do when this happens. It also provides you with important information on when and how to get medical help quickly.

Asthma Australia recommends that everyone with asthma has an asthma plan from their doctor. This should include your personal medication plan and what to do if your asthma gets worse. A copy of the plan should be given to carers, for example, childcare workers, school and preschool staff, and relevant family members. If you do not have an action plan, see your doctor as soon as you can to have this completed.

If your symptoms are in the green zone, it indicates that your asthma is reasonably well controlled and you should carry on taking your medications as the doctor has prescribed. If you are in this green zone, you will notice that you are using your blue puffer less than three times a week, and that doesn't include using it before you exercise.

If you notice that you are using your blue puffer more than three times a week, And you have started waking up wheezing or coughing during the night more than a couple of times a week, your asthma may be getting worse. If you look at the action plan your GP has given you, you will now be in the yellow section. Your doctor may give you extra medications to take to get this under control. Follow your plan and see your doctor if your symptoms don't improve. If you are using your blue puffer every three to four hours, and waking up every night or morning feeling very wheezy and your chest is tight, then your asthma may be severe.

Look at your plan and follow the directions your doctor has written for you in the orange section. This may include starting some oral steroid tablets, or it may ask you to see your doctor straight away.

If you are experiencing severe shortness of breath, you are having difficulty speaking in sentences because of your breathing and you don't seem to be getting much relief from your blue puffer, you should follow the asthma first aid on the action plan and call 000 immediately. Please watch the section on asthma first aid. It is extremely important to know what asthma first aid is, and highly recommended that you watch the Asthma first aid section and then read your action plan.

An asthma attack can be frightening for both you and your child.

It is important to remain calm and sit your child upright. Give reliever medication. All reliever medications are blue. Shake the blue puffer and take the cap off. Use your child's spacer. How to use a spacer is explained in another section. Puff one puff of medication into the spacer.

Mum: Slow breaths.

Ready? 1, 2, 3, 4.

Narrator: Watch your child take four effective breaths. Repeat this step four times until your child has taken a total of four puffs of medication. Wait for four minutes. At the end of four minutes, look at your child's breathing. Do they look and feel better? Is there any improvement or are they still breathing faster or harder than normal?

If they are not better, give another four puffs of reliever medication as before.

Mum: Good. Four breaths slowly. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Good boy.

Narrator: If your child is not improving, you should seek further help. It is difficult to give general advice, however, acute asthma that is not responding to reliever medication is a medical emergency.

Dial triple 0 and talk with the operator.

Mum: Hello, ambulance? Yes. My two year old son's having an asthma attack.

Narrator: Continue to give four puffs of reliever medication every four minutes until emergency assistance has arrived.

Mum: Come on, four breaths slowly. Ready One.