unstable asthma

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unstable asthma

An increase in asthmatic symptoms during the past 4 weeks.

Treatment

Usually the dosage of the patient's bronchodilator or other medications needs to be increased.

Patient care

The patient must be monitored closely for signs of respiratory failure such as abnormal sensorium and severe tachypnea and tachycardia.

See also: asthma

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References in periodicals archive ?

Leukotriene and 8-isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate of children with stable and unstable asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol.

ISOPROSTANES--A NOVEL MAJOR GROUP OF OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKERS

Skin testing is also contraindicated in pregnant women and patients with unstable asthma. Usually performed by allergists, skin testing requires trained staff, specialized materials, and the ability to manage possibly serious side effects.

Specific IgE testing: objective laboratory evidence supports allergy diagnosis and treatment

The asthmatics that may benefit from peak flow monitoring are those with moderate to severe or unstable asthma or the "poor perceivers" we talked about earlier.

Why do we measure lung function in patients with known obstructive lung diseases?