Reactive airway disease is a condition characterized by reversible airway narrowing caused by external triggers. It includes conditions like asthma and describes respiratory symptoms in infants too young for diagnostic testing. Common symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and mucus in the airways. It is often caused by irritants like pet dander, pollen, smoke, or changes in weather. Diagnosis involves tests to check for infection or inflammation while treatment focuses on relieving symptoms through emergency oxygen, bronchodilators, epinephrine injections, or avoiding triggers.

2. Objectives
Define Reactive Airway Disease
Identify the Causes
Enlist Clinical Manifestations
Explain the Medical diagnose
Illustrate the Treatment

3. Reactive Airway Disease

4. Definition
Reactive airway disease is a group of conditions that
include reversible airway narrowing due to an external
stimulation

5. Cont…
o The term reactive airway disease may be used in pediatrics to
describe an asthma-like syndrome in infants too young for
diagnostic testing such as the bronchial challenge test
o Sometimes the terms "reactive airway disease" and "asthma"
are used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
Often, the term "reactive airway disease" is used when asthma
is suspected, but not yet confirmed

6. Clinical Manifestations
Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Breathing difficulties
Mucus in the airways
Swelling of the airway lining
Hypersensitive airways

7. Cont…
Fever
Tachycardia
Flushing, cyanosis
Tachypnea, dyspnea
Poor feeding

8. Causes
o Reactive airway disease, like asthma, occurs most often after
you’ve had an infection. It’s caused by some irritant that triggers
the airways to overreact and swell or narrow. Some causes or
irritants may include:
• Pet hair or dander
• Dust
• Pollen
• Smoke
• Mold or mildew
• Exercise

9. Cont…
• Stress
• Perfume or other strong odors
• Changes in the weather

10. Diagnosis
• Blood tests or cultures to detect inflammation or infection
• Lung biopsy to help evaluate suspicious tissue growths
• Skin prick and RAST (radioallergosorbent test) blood tests to
identify allergy triggers
• Antinuclear antibody (ANA) blood tests to help diagnose
autoimmune disease
• CF gene mutation panel to diagnose cystic fibrosis
• Pulmonary function tests like spirometry, diffusion studies, and
body plethysmography to diagnose COPD

11. Treatment
There are no clear treatment guidelines for reactive airway
disease. In emergency situations, the classification would help
direct rescue efforts, which may include:
Emergency oxygen therapy
Pulse oximetry to assess oxygen blood saturation
Inhaled rescue bronchodilators (or intravenous bronchodilators
in severe cases)
Epinephrine injections if symptoms are suggestive of potentially
life-threatening allergic anaphylaxis

12. Cont…
using breathing and relaxation exercises (if your trigger is stress)
treating an infection or virus
using a rescue inhaler (effective for symptoms that are exercise-
induced)

13. Cont…
If a person has reactive airway disease but the underlying cause
is unknown, the best way to reduce symptoms is to avoid the
irritant. Allergy medication, such as antihistamines, may also
help