Re: Digest Number 1292 methacoline challenge

[Guest guest]

The methacoline challenge or bronchial provocation test is part of a

pulmonary function test (PFT). It's more then just a peak flow. The

respiratory therapist will test your/his/her FVC (forced vital

capacity) to get a FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second).

After that the RT will administer a drug called methacloine. Much

like histamine, this will cause an asthma attack. Once the attack is

measured the RT will administer a bronchodilator like Albuterol or

something like it. Then test the FEV1 again.

If the methacloine sparks an attack, and the bronchodilator reverses

it, it's a good bet that the patient has asthma.

The two things that make asthma different from the 4 other

obstructive lung diseases is that asthma is reversible and episodic.

> > In a message dated 6/27/2004 7:33:20 AM Central Standard Time,

> > asthma writes:

> > Doctors are the worst. they

> > are trained to treat an illness after it occurs, not allot of

time

> > on prevention. >>>

> >

> > I agree. And I have a question about diagnosing asthma. My

son,

> 8, has bad

> > allergies (mostly dust mites) and he reacts very strongly to

strong

> smells

> > like exhaust. He has had a few attacks that look more like

asthma

> than allergies

> > in the last couple of months. One was after being outside all

day-

> -the

> > attack was at bedtime. He suddenly started coughing and crying

and

> saying he

> > couldn't breath and his chest hurt. The other was after my

> daughter melted

> > plastic toys in the microwave and the smell was awful. He had

the

> same type of

> > reaction to that. He recovered both times within half hour or

so.

> We took him to

> > the allergist. He was congested (like allergies) and when he

blew

> into the

> > machine, he had trouble with the narrow tubes you blow into--the

> Dr. said his

> > airways were narrowed. He gave us Nasonex and Singulair to try

for

> a few

> > weeks. Then he said he couldn't say if he had asthma or not.

The

> next time

> > something happened we were to take him to the ER and they could

> tell us. That was

> > that.

> >

> >

> > Where's the prevention in that? Is that the only way to find

out

> if you have

> > asthma? Now if he did have it, it must not be too bad, but

still--

> don't I

> > need to know that? He did improve on the medications.....BUT I

> don't want to

> > give him meds every day if no one can tell me if he does or

doesn't

> have asthma!

> > Sigh.....

> >

> > Dee

[Guest guest]

The methacoline challenge or bronchial provocation test is part of a

pulmonary function test (PFT). It's more then just a peak flow. The

respiratory therapist will test your/his/her FVC (forced vital

capacity) to get a FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second).

After that the RT will administer a drug called methacloine. Much

like histamine, this will cause an asthma attack. Once the attack is

measured the RT will administer a bronchodilator like Albuterol or

something like it. Then test the FEV1 again.

If the methacloine sparks an attack, and the bronchodilator reverses

it, it's a good bet that the patient has asthma.

The two things that make asthma different from the 4 other

obstructive lung diseases is that asthma is reversible and episodic.

> > In a message dated 6/27/2004 7:33:20 AM Central Standard Time,

> > asthma writes:

> > Doctors are the worst. they

> > are trained to treat an illness after it occurs, not allot of

time

> > on prevention. >>>

> >

> > I agree. And I have a question about diagnosing asthma. My

son,

> 8, has bad

> > allergies (mostly dust mites) and he reacts very strongly to

strong

> smells

> > like exhaust. He has had a few attacks that look more like

asthma

> than allergies

> > in the last couple of months. One was after being outside all

day-

> -the

> > attack was at bedtime. He suddenly started coughing and crying

and

> saying he

> > couldn't breath and his chest hurt. The other was after my

> daughter melted

> > plastic toys in the microwave and the smell was awful. He had

the

> same type of

> > reaction to that. He recovered both times within half hour or

so.

> We took him to

> > the allergist. He was congested (like allergies) and when he

blew

> into the

> > machine, he had trouble with the narrow tubes you blow into--the

> Dr. said his

> > airways were narrowed. He gave us Nasonex and Singulair to try

for

> a few

> > weeks. Then he said he couldn't say if he had asthma or not.

The

> next time

> > something happened we were to take him to the ER and they could

> tell us. That was

> > that.

> >

> >

> > Where's the prevention in that? Is that the only way to find

out

> if you have

> > asthma? Now if he did have it, it must not be too bad, but

still--

> don't I

> > need to know that? He did improve on the medications.....BUT I

> don't want to

> > give him meds every day if no one can tell me if he does or

doesn't

> have asthma!

> > Sigh.....

> >

> > Dee

[Guest guest]

The methacoline challenge or bronchial provocation test is part of a

pulmonary function test (PFT). It's more then just a peak flow. The

respiratory therapist will test your/his/her FVC (forced vital

capacity) to get a FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second).

After that the RT will administer a drug called methacloine. Much

like histamine, this will cause an asthma attack. Once the attack is

measured the RT will administer a bronchodilator like Albuterol or

something like it. Then test the FEV1 again.

If the methacloine sparks an attack, and the bronchodilator reverses

it, it's a good bet that the patient has asthma.

The two things that make asthma different from the 4 other

obstructive lung diseases is that asthma is reversible and episodic.

> > In a message dated 6/27/2004 7:33:20 AM Central Standard Time,

> > asthma writes:

> > Doctors are the worst. they

> > are trained to treat an illness after it occurs, not allot of

time

> > on prevention. >>>

> >

> > I agree. And I have a question about diagnosing asthma. My

son,

> 8, has bad

> > allergies (mostly dust mites) and he reacts very strongly to

strong

> smells

> > like exhaust. He has had a few attacks that look more like

asthma

> than allergies

> > in the last couple of months. One was after being outside all

day-

> -the

> > attack was at bedtime. He suddenly started coughing and crying

and

> saying he

> > couldn't breath and his chest hurt. The other was after my

> daughter melted

> > plastic toys in the microwave and the smell was awful. He had

the

> same type of

> > reaction to that. He recovered both times within half hour or

so.

> We took him to

> > the allergist. He was congested (like allergies) and when he

blew

> into the

> > machine, he had trouble with the narrow tubes you blow into--the

> Dr. said his

> > airways were narrowed. He gave us Nasonex and Singulair to try

for

> a few

> > weeks. Then he said he couldn't say if he had asthma or not.

The

> next time

> > something happened we were to take him to the ER and they could

> tell us. That was

> > that.

> >

> >

> > Where's the prevention in that? Is that the only way to find

out

> if you have

> > asthma? Now if he did have it, it must not be too bad, but

still--

> don't I

> > need to know that? He did improve on the medications.....BUT I

> don't want to

> > give him meds every day if no one can tell me if he does or

doesn't

> have asthma!

> > Sigh.....

> >

> > Dee

[Guest guest]

Thanks Matt for giving a more thorough explanation.

Angie

> > > In a message dated 6/27/2004 7:33:20 AM Central Standard Time,

> > > asthma writes:

> > > Doctors are the worst. they

> > > are trained to treat an illness after it occurs, not allot of

> time

> > > on prevention. >>>

> > >

> > > I agree. And I have a question about diagnosing asthma. My

> son,

> > 8, has bad

> > > allergies (mostly dust mites) and he reacts very strongly to

> strong

> > smells

> > > like exhaust. He has had a few attacks that look more like

> asthma

> > than allergies

> > > in the last couple of months. One was after being outside all

> day-

> > -the

> > > attack was at bedtime. He suddenly started coughing and crying

> and

> > saying he

> > > couldn't breath and his chest hurt. The other was after my

> > daughter melted

> > > plastic toys in the microwave and the smell was awful. He had

> the

> > same type of

> > > reaction to that. He recovered both times within half hour or

> so.

> > We took him to

> > > the allergist. He was congested (like allergies) and when he

> blew

> > into the

> > > machine, he had trouble with the narrow tubes you blow into--

the

> > Dr. said his

> > > airways were narrowed. He gave us Nasonex and Singulair to try

> for

> > a few

> > > weeks. Then he said he couldn't say if he had asthma or not.

> The

> > next time

> > > something happened we were to take him to the ER and they could

> > tell us. That was

> > > that.

> > >

> > >

> > > Where's the prevention in that? Is that the only way to find

> out

> > if you have

> > > asthma? Now if he did have it, it must not be too bad, but

> still--

> > don't I

> > > need to know that? He did improve on the medications.....BUT I

> > don't want to

> > > give him meds every day if no one can tell me if he does or

> doesn't

> > have asthma!

> > > Sigh.....

> > >

> > > Dee