Discharge Information for Patients with Asthma - Ipswich Hospital

General Advice Regarding Your
Asthma
Has your asthma been keeping you awake
at night or playing up during the day
If your answer is ‘Yes’, make an
appointment to see your doctor or practice
nurse as soon as possible.
Are you using a preventer (steroid inhaler)
regularly
If your answer is ‘No’, or you didn’t know
that a preventer can reduce attacks and
control asthma, make an appointment to
see your doctor or practice nurse to find
out.
Have you got a peak flow meter and an
asthma management plan
If your answer is ‘No’, make an
appointment to see your doctor or practice
nurse.
Further Information
Asthma UK
www.asthma.org.uk
British Lung Foundation
www.lunguk.org
Information for patients
SAMPLE
Discharge
Information
for Patients
with Asthma
Name:
Outreach Respiratory Team
Tel: 01473 703482
Produced by:
The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust
Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 5PD
Hospital switchboard: 01473 712233
www.ipswichhospital.nhs.uk
DMI ref: 0249-08.indd(RP)
Issue 1: March 2008
© The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, 2008. All rights
reserved. Not to be reproduced in whole, or in part,
without the permission of the copyright owner.

An asthma attack has caused you to come
to hospital.
This information leaflet aims to help you
get over this attack and also gives guidance
on how to prevent further attacks.
Discharge Medication
Steroids
In order to control your asthma you
have been given some steroid tablets
(prednisolone). It is important to take the
whole course, as directed, to prevent the
asthma attack returning. Take the tablets
in the mornings at the following times:
If your tablets are RED:
½ hour before breakfast
If your tablets are WHITE:
After breakfast
Inhalers
Your preventer inhaler controls your
asthma and stops further attacks.
It is called:
Use this as directed and do not stop using
it, even when you are feeling better. It
is important to continue to use it when
taking oral steroids.
Your reliever inhaler should be used when
you become wheezy.
It is called:
Peak Flow Monitoring
Peak flow monitoring tests whether your
asthma is getting worse and is useful to
show your recovery from an attack. If you
do not have your own peak flow meter
please ask the nursing staff for one. During
periods when your asthma is unstable we
advise you to monitor your peak flow three
times a day (morning, noon and night).
The meter comes with a chart on which to
record the readings.
We compare your peak flow with your best
reading achieved in the last year or the
predicted level if you are unsure of your
best.
Best / Predicted PEF:
Asthma Management Plans
It is important to know what to do when
your asthma worsens. We advise you to
speak to your practice nurse to discuss
what action you can take if your asthma
gets worse and to agree an asthma
management plan. This should help
prevent attacks getting so severe that you
need to come to hospital.
SAMPLE
Follow-up After This Attack
It is important for you to make an
appointment to see your GP or practice
nurse within two working days of your
discharge from hospital. This is to make
sure that you continue to improve
following discharge and to decide if you
need a longer course of treatment to settle
the attack.
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