Asthma Medications

When asking a patient about their medical history most patients will remember that they have had a history of asthma. How many patients can list off  "Advair diskus three times daily, Sabutamol, and Singular, with occasional doses of Azithromycin as needed" not many, the response that I've heard time and time again is "The purple cirlce one" or "the orange one" or "the little square pill". I have compiled a short list of the more common medications with pictures in order to help future paramedics and students with this issue. I hope it helps!

Advair Diskus- Purple circular looking medication. Made up of Fluticasone and Salmeterol, and is used to control moderate to severe asthma when an inhaled steroid alone does not work. (see http://www.rx-pain-relief.com/allergy_asthma.html for more information)

 Mometasone furoate Also known as Asmanex® Twisthaler® is a small white cylindrical tube with a larger base and numbers and a twist function at the bottom. This medication is used to block the action of both inflammatory cells and chemicals that are involved in the immune process. This medication is used for allergy induced asthma. (see http://www.copdforums.com/ for more information)

 Flovent also known as fluticasone propionate, is an inhaler used to treat asthma. This medication is an orange puffer, and is referred to as a controller medication because it is used to reduce inflammation in the bronchi over a long period of time. (See http://www.drugshoponline.com/Buy-Asthma-Medications-FLOVENT-(FLUTiCASONE)-(FLiXOTiDE)-100mcg-1-discus.html for more information)

 

 Singulair is a small square shaped pill taken for long term asthma control. Singulair can be used as an alternative to inhaled steroids, or can be used when a patient is not getting adequate control with inhaled steroids alone. (See http://www.drug3k.com/imagepages/11725/image5.html for more information)

Symbicort is a pink and white tube shaped combination asthma medication containing budesonide and formoterol, given via a dry powder inhaler to help with maintenance and control of asthma. (See http://www.asthmameds.ca/news.php for more information)

Ventolin also known as sabutamol is a bronchodilator used to treat acute exaserbations, or an “asthma attack”. Ventolin comes in a dark blue puffer. (See http://www.canadapharmacy.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product/name/Ventolin-inhaler/product_id/1891.htm for more information)

Accidental opioid overdose from licit or illicit opioids such as oxycodone, heroin, codeine, and morphine are significantly on the rise throughout the world. North America, Denmark, Italy, Spain, England, and many other first world countries have all seen a dramatic increase in the amount of deaths due to opioid drug overdoses Naloxone is a drug that can be administered for opioid overdoses via intramuscular injection, intravenously, or through a nasal spray. Naloxone has been proven a safe and effective drug for opioid overdoses.  It dramatically increases the well being of the patient, and is very simple to use and very inexpensive. It is so safe that drug using populations in The United States and Australia have been given the drug to administer to peers, which has proven effective in both countries (Irwin, K.S., Kim, D., Khoshnood, K., 2009). This drug is currently unavailable for paramedics to administer... but why? If we can give it to known drug using populations surely medical professionals should be able to follow the drug protocols for this drug! 

References

Kim, D., Irwin, K., & Khoshnood, K.. (2009). Expanded Access to Naloxone: Options for Critical Response to the Epidemic of Opioid Overdose Mortality. American Journal of Public Health, 99(3), 402-7.  Retrieved December 1, 2010, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source. (Document ID: 1647955791).

Community Paramedicine

Emergency wait times. They’ve become almost a running Canadian joke. "Prolonged waits in Canada's ERs are now accepted as normal, but the problem is both unnecessary and solvable," says Dr. Alan Drummond, past president of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) who is running a campaign to increase the number of beds in hospitals (Patrick Sullivan, 2004). 

Something that could greatly reduce wait times in Emergency Rooms would be community paramedics. What is community paramedicine? “It’s a simple concept: Connect underutilized resources to underserved populations. In this case, we’re expanding the roles of EMS workers to provide health services where access to physicians, clinics and/or hospitals is difficult or may not exist.” (Community Paramedic, 2011). We all know how long ER wait times are, and when a patient has a chronic issue, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or need help but do not qualify for a personal support worker, community paramedics could provide the link between the hospital and the patient. If a community paramedic came to a patient’s home and regularly helped them to monitor their blood sugars, and explain their medications to them thoroughly, what are the chances that they would later be taken to a hospital with hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia?  

References

Sullivan, P. (2004). Emergency MDs call for quick action on ER wait times. Retrieved from http://www.cma.ca/index.php?ci_id=40157&la_id=1

Community paramedics helping those on the fringes. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110110/community-paramedics-110110/

Opening

ParamedicPeer is going to be a place where paramedic students from all across Ontariocan come and learn about new trends in paramedicine. Resources will be made available to students such as the Basic Life Support Standards, the Regulated Health-Care Professionals Act, study help, and information about possible upcoming job opportunities. New trends such as community paramedicine, STEMI bypass protocols and new upcoming changes to the field will be discussed.