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Brittle Asthma
Brittle asthma is a type of asthma distinguishable from other forms by recurrent, severe attacks. There are two subtypes divided by symptoms: Type 1 and Type 2, depending on the stability of the patient's maximum speed of expiration, or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Type 1 is characterized by a maintained wide PEF variability despite considerable medical therapy including a dose of inhaled steroids, and Type 2 is characterized by sudden acute attacks occurring in less than three hours without an obvious trigger on a background of well controlled asthma. Brittle asthma is one of the "unstable" subtypes of "difficult asthma", a term used to characterize the less than 5% of asthma cases that do not respond to maximal inhaled treatment, including high doses of corticosteroids combined with additional therapies such as long-acting beta-2 agonists. Diagnosis Types The 2005 '' Oxford Textbook of Medicine'' distinguishes type 1 brittle asthma by "persistent daily chaotic variability ...
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Asthma
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. A sudden worsening of asthma symptoms sometimes called an 'asthma attack' or an 'asthma exacerbation' can occur when allergens, pollen, dust, or other particles, are inhaled into the lungs, causing the bronchioles to constrict and produce mucus, which then restricts oxygen flow to the alveoli. These may occur a few times a day or a few times per week. Depending on the person, asthma symptoms may become worse at night or with exercise. Asthma is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Environmental factors include exposure to air pollution and allergens. Other potential triggers include medications such as aspirin and beta blockers. Diag ...
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Asthma Trigger
Asthma triggers are factors or stimuli that provoke the exacerbation of asthma symptoms or increase the degree of airflow disruption, which can lead to an asthma attack. An asthma attack is characterized by an Airway obstruction, obstruction of the airway, Secretion, hypersecretion of mucus and bronchoconstriction due to the contraction of smooth muscles around the respiratory tract. Its symptoms include a wide range of manifestations such as Shortness of breath, breathlessness, coughing, a tight chest and Wheeze, wheezing. An asthma attack is usually mediated by an Inflammation, inflammatory pathway, where a trigger such as an allergen could lead to a series of immune response mediated by various types of immune cells. Common triggers for asthma include allergens like pet dander, House dust mite, dust mites, pollens and Mold, molds. Other types of triggers like Exercise physiology, exercise, Air pollution, air pollutants, tobacco smoke, humidity, cold air, or certain medicines ma ...
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Corticosteroid
Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including stress response, immune response, and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and behavior. Some common naturally occurring steroid hormones are cortisol (), corticosterone (), cortisone () and aldosterone () (cortisone and aldosterone are isomers). The main corticosteroids produced by the adrenal cortex are cortisol and aldosterone. The etymology of the '' cortico-'' part of the name refers to the adrenal cortex, which makes these steroid hormones. Thus a corticosteroid is a "cortex steroid". Classes * Glucocorticoids such as cortisol affect carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, and have anti ...
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Beta2-adrenergic Agonist
Beta2-adrenergic agonists, also known as adrenergic β2 receptor agonists, are a class of drugs that act on the β2 adrenergic receptor. Like other β adrenergic agonists, they cause smooth muscle relaxation. β2 adrenergic agonists' effects on smooth muscle cause dilation of bronchial passages, vasodilation in muscle and liver, relaxation of uterine muscle, and release of insulin. They are primarily used to treat asthma and other pulmonary disorders. Bronchodilators are considered an important treatment regime for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and are usually used in combination with short acting medications and long acting medications in a combined inhaler. Mechanism of action Activation of β adrenergic receptors leads to relaxation of smooth muscle in the lung, and dilation and opening of the airways. β adrenergic receptors are coupled to a stimulatory G protein of adenylyl cyclase. This enzyme produces the second messenger cyclic adenosine monoph ...
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Oxford Textbook Of Medicine
The ''Oxford Textbook of Medicine'' is an international textbook of medicine. First published in 1983, the sixth edition was released in 2020. It is primarily aimed at mature physicians looking for information outside their area of particular expertise, but widely used as a reference source by medical students and doctors in training, and by others seeking authoritative accounts of the science and clinical practice of medicine. The ''Oxford Textbook of Medicine'' is available in print and online - where its contents are systematically updated. Description The ''Oxford Textbook of Medicine'' covers the scientific aspects and clinical practice of internal medicine and its subspecialties. It offers practical guidance on clinical management and the prevention of disease. Throughout the book, basic science and clinical practice are integrated, and the implications of research for medical practice are explained. Traditional specialty areas in clinical medicine are covered, and there ...
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Dyspnea
Shortness of breath (SOB), known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity", and recommends evaluating dyspnea by assessing the intensity of its distinct sensations, the degree of distress and discomfort involved, and its burden or impact on the patient's activities of daily living. Distinct sensations include effort/work to breathe, chest tightness or pain, and "air hunger" (the feeling of not enough oxygen). The tripod position is often assumed to be a sign. Dyspnea is a normal symptom of heavy physical exertion but becomes pathological if it occurs in unexpected situations, when resting or during light exertion. In 85% of cases it is due to asthma, pneumonia, reflux/LPR, cardiac ischemia, COVID-19, interstitial lung disease, congestive ...
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Wheeze
A wheeze is a clinical symptom of a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. For wheezes to occur, part of the respiratory tree must be narrowed or obstructed (for example narrowing of the lower respiratory tract in an asthmatic attack), or airflow velocity within the respiratory tree must be heightened. Wheezing is commonly experienced by persons with a lung disease; the most common cause of recurrent wheezing is asthma, though it can also be a symptom of lung cancer, congestive heart failure, and certain types of heart diseases. The differential diagnosis of wheezing is wide, and the reason for wheezing in a given patient is determined by considering the characteristics of the wheezes and the historical and clinical findings made by the examining physician. The term "wheeze" is also used as a clinical condition describing wheezing in preschool children, termed as "preschool wheeze". Clinical symptom Wheeze Wheezes occ ...
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Margaret Turner-Warwick
Dame Margaret Elizabeth Turner-Warwick (; 19 November 1924 – 21 August 2017) was a British medical doctor and thoracic specialist. She was the first woman president of the Royal College of Physicians (1989–1992) and, later, chairman of the Royal Devon and Exeter Health Care NHS Trust (1992–1995). Family Margaret Harvey Moore was born on 19 November 1924. Her birth was registered in St George, Hanover Square, London. She was the daughter of William Harvey Moore, Q.C., and his wife, Maud Kirkdale Baden-Powell, who were married on 23 March 1920. Dame Margaret was the granddaughter of Sir George Baden-Powell and Frances Wilson. She married urologist Richard Turner-Warwick in 1950. They had two daughters, Lynne and Gillian. Education Turner-Warwick was educated at the City of London School for Girls and Walthamstow Hall, before attending The Maynard School in Exeter from the age of 12 to the age of 18. While at Maynard, she became friends with Audrey Jane Pinsent, who ...
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Compliance (medicine)
In medicine, patient compliance (also adherence, capacitance) describes the degree to which a person correctly follows medical advice. Most commonly, it refers to medication or drug compliance, but it can also apply to other situations such as medical device use, self care, self-directed exercises, therapy sessions, or medical follow-up visits. Both patient and health-care provider affect compliance, and a positive physician-patient relationship is the most important factor in improving compliance. Access to care plays a role in patient adherence, whereby greater wait times to access care contributing to greater absenteeism. The cost of prescription medication and potential side effects also play a role. Compliance can be confused with concordance, which is the process by which a patient and clinician make decisions together about treatment. Worldwide, non-compliance is a major obstacle to the effective delivery of health care. 2003 estimates from the World Health Organization ...
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Beta Agonist
Beta adrenergic agonists or beta agonists are medications that relax muscles of the airways, causing widening of the airways and resulting in easier breathing. They are a class of sympathomimetic agents, each acting upon the beta adrenoceptors. In general, pure beta-adrenergic agonists have the opposite function of beta blockers: beta-adrenoreceptor agonist ligands mimic the actions of both epinephrine- and norepinephrine- signaling, in the heart and lungs, and in smooth muscle tissue; epinephrine expresses the higher affinity. The activation of β1, β2 and β3 activates the enzyme, adenylate cyclase. This, in turn, leads to the activation of the secondary messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP); cAMP then activates protein kinase A (PKA) which phosphorylates target proteins, ultimately inducing smooth muscle relaxation and contraction of the cardiac tissue. Function Activation of β1 receptors induces positive inotropic, chronotropic output of the cardiac muscle, ...
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Long Acting Beta-adrenoceptor Agonist
Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mensural notation Places Asia * Long District, Laos * Long District, Phrae, Thailand * Longjiang (other) or River Long (lit. "dragon river"), one of several rivers in China * Yangtze River or Changjiang (lit. "Long River"), China Elsewhere * Long, Somme, France People * Long (Chinese surname) * Long (Western surname) Fictional characters * Long (''Bloody Roar''), in the video game series * Long, Aeon of Permanence in Honkai: Star Rail Sports * Long, a fielding term in cricket * Long, in tennis and similar games, beyond the service line during a serve and beyond the baseline during play Other uses * , a U.S. Navy ship name * Long (finance), a position in finance, especially stock markets * Lòng, name for a laneway in Sh ...
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MedicAlert
The MedicAlert Foundation is a non-profit company founded in 1956 and headquartered in Turlock, California. It maintains a database of members' medical information that is made available to medical authorities in the event of a medical emergency. Members supply critical medical data to the organization and receive a distinctive metal bracelet or necklace tag which is worn at all times. It can be used by first responders, such as emergency medical personnel or law-enforcement agents, to access wearers' medical history and special medical needs. The name ''MedicAlert'' may be interpreted either as the two separate words "medic alert" or as a blended form of the phrase "medical alert". Protocol and publicity The MedicAlert IDs worn by members are designed to mimic regular jewelry (such as bracelets, necklaces, ID tags, etc.) with the addition of the distinctive MedicAlert engraved tag. The personalized jewelry bears the words "Medic Alert" and the Staff of Asclepius, the univers ...
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