An adolescent who has exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is on the high school track team and has recently begun to practice daily during the school week. The adolescent uses 2 puffs of albuterol via a metered-dose inhaler 20 minutes before exercise but reports decreased effectiveness since beginning daily practice. What will the primary care pediatric nurse practitioner do?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the adolescent is experiencing decreased effectiveness of albuterol inhaler, the next step is to add a daily inhaled corticosteroid medication to manage the underlying inflammation. Decreasing the number of practices or increasing the albuterol dose can result in overreliance on rescue inhaler and increased risk of side effects. Cromolyn sodium is an alternative medication for EIA but it is less effective compared to inhaled corticosteroid and usually used if the patient cannot tolerate or afford inhaled corticosteroid.

An Adolescent Who Has Exercise-Induced Asthma (EIA) Is on the High