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Primary care team
GP
- Medical history.
- Listen to your lungs.
- Refer for X-ray.
- Refer for Simple breathing tests with the Practice Nurse or Healthcare assistant or Clinical Physiology GP Spirometry service if available.
- Prescribe medication – inhalers as appropriate.
- Communicate with Respiratory Consultant in the hospital.
Practice nurse
- General observations.
- Perform simple peak flow and/or Spirometry test. (link to previous Spirometry Test section)
- Reversibility study, if appropriate. (link back to previous sections)
- Inhaler technique if appropriate. (link to inhaler film clips)
- Prescribe some medications
Hospital respiratory care team
Respiratory consultant
- Medical history.
- Listen to your lungs.
- Review of X-ray, possible repeat.
- Refer for further CT, MRI as appropriate.
- Review Spirometry, possible repeat.
- Refer of full breathing tests.
- Refer for Specialised breathing test.(link to exercise induced asthma/challenge test)
Respiratory specialist nurse
- General Observations.
- Perform simple peak flow and/or Spirometry test. (link to previous Spirometry Test section)
- Reversibility study, if appropriate. (link back to previous sections)
- Review medication and prescribe some medications.
- Inhaler technique if appropriate.
- Refer for full breathing tests.
- Educate you about asthma
- Issue you with a peak flow meter and diary and give an asthma action plan
- They may also take history and listen to lungs if they are trained to do so
Specialist pharmacist
- Advice and review current medication.
- Advice and dispense medication.
- Advice about inhaler technique.
- Explain what your medication is for and any side effects.
Clinical physiologist
- Assess full lung function.
- Assess effectiveness of inhaled treatment.
- Assess hypersensitivity using challenge tests. (link to Challenge test section)
- Report findings to Respiratory Consultant.
Respiratory physiotherapist
- Advice on asthma and exercise.
- Specialist advice and treatment for dysfunctional breathing such as hyperventilation. How to relax and retrain your breathing.
- Advice to manage your cough and sputum.
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