How to assess your patient who is getting Albuterol

Albuterol, a short-acting bronchodilator, does just what the name suggests. It helps relax & dilate (open up) your bronchioles in the lungs & allows for air to move freely. Because of it’s short-acting effect it is considered a rescue medication. 

🩺 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥?
Albuterol is used when a patient is experiencing bronchospasm that is manifested through shortness of breath, chest tightness, difficulty breathing or wheezing. Asthma (most common in children), anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) and COPD (seen in adults) are known conditions that can cause these symptoms. 

✨Although albuterol acts quickly to alleviate respiratory distress, there are also side effects that may occur & are important to look out for. 
🔎 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: any medication that dilates the bronchioles will have an inverse effect on the cardiac system. This means when albuterol causes bronchodilation it will inversely cause vasoconstriction.

🩺 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥:
𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 — due to vasoconstriction, albuterol will cause HR and BP to increase. Monitoring this is essential in ensuring your patient does not have an arrythmia. Patients with a Hx of HTN or cardiac issues must be monitored closely. At times, providers will prescribe Levalbuterol (Xopenex), a bronchodilator with milder systemic side effects, for those with cardiac history. 

𝙎𝙥𝙊2 — You should see an increase in oxygen levels after albuterol administration. This is because the dilation of your bronchioles allows more oxygen to get through & perfuse the lungs.

𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 — always assess your patient BEFORE administering albuterol and AFTER. In order to know if there was an improvement, there must be a pre & post assessment for comparison. After albuterol, lung sounds should improve. If a patient was experiencing tightness where little to no air was heard prior to albuterol you may hear mild to mod. wheezing after albuterol. This signifies that this patient was probably very tight before the tx and now the albuterol is finally helping some air squeeze through. These pt’s would definitely require further treatment.

Have any of you ever had a treatment before? What side effects did you experience? Did it help you feel and breathe better? Share below!