Question

Professor Craig, a 38-year-old man with a history of asthma, presents to the ED with a chief complaint of shortness of breath and coughing. His respiratory rate is 34 breaths/min, he is wheezing on both inspiration and expiration throughout both lung fields, and he has accessory muscle usage. He is unable to perform a peak expiratory flow rate maneuver. He complains of anxiety and is diaphoretic, his heart rate is 148 beats/min, and his oxygen saturation is 92% on room air. He is coughing up thick, white, foamy secretions. Oxygen is ordered for Professor Craig by nasai cannula at 2 L min, as well as aerosol therapy with albutorol.

1. On the basis of this patient's presentation, what would be your recommendation for the choice of aerosol delivery dev 8. Evaluate flow-volume curves.

Answer 1

The recommended choice of aerosol delivery device for Professor Craig would be a nebulizer due to his asthma symptoms and inability to perform a peak expiratory flow rate maneuver.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the patient's presentation, the recommendation for the choice of aerosol delivery device would be a nebulizer.

In this case, Professor Craig has a history of asthma and is presenting with shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. These symptoms indicate an acute asthma exacerbation. Nebulizers deliver medication in the form of a fine mist that can be easily inhaled by the patient, making them an effective choice for managing asthma symptoms.

Additionally, since Professor Craig is unable to perform a peak expiratory flow rate maneuver, a nebulizer would be suitable as it can effectively deliver medication even in patients who are unable to inhale forcefully.