Therapeutic and Nutritional Guidelines: Effect on Asthmatic Adult s Coping and Compliance

Bronchial asthma is a common disorder of the respiratory system in which the passages that enable air to pass into and out of the lungs periodically narrow, causing coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. This narrowing is typically temporary and reversible, but in severe attacks, asthma may result in death. Aim of the study: Assessment of asthmatic adult needs, designing therapeutic and nutritional guidelines and evaluating their effect on knowledge, practice, coping, severity of asthma and therapeutic compliance factors. Tools: Five tools were used for data collection: (1) An interview form, (2) An observation checklist to assess actual patient s practice, (3) Asthma severity assessment scale, (4) Coping scale and (5) An assessment sheet for factors involved in non-compliance with medication. Results: Baseline assessment findings have shown marked deficiency in the knowledge, practice, adequacy of coping, therapeutic compliance factors and increased level of severity of asthma. After guidelines implementation, there was improvement in all these items Conclusion: The developed guidelines showed a significant impact in the form of a remarkable decrease in severity level of asthma and increasing patients coping and compliance. Recommendations: Guidelines for asthmatic patients should be adopted as an essential element of the health services offered to them.