An asthma action plan is a written plan which is designed to help people with asthma management. It provides a series of instructions about what to do in various situations which the patient can follow. Having a clearly written and defined plan has been shown to help patients manage asthma more effectively, and the plan can also be useful when interacting with emergency medical services and other medical care providers. Asthma action plans are usually drawn up by the patient and her or his asthma specialist or general practitioner, if the general practitioner is handling asthma management with the patient.
At the top of the asthma action plan, there's a list of contact information for the patient's doctor, local hospitals, emergency services, and family members. This section also includes the patient's name and contact information, so that in the event that there is a problem, all of this information will be readily available.
The next section of the asthma action plan is a discussion about what the patient should do while in the “green zone” of well controlled asthma. When in this zone, the patient is experiencing minimal symptoms, can breathe relatively well, does not need a rescue inhaler, and is comfortable. Green zone actions can include taking daily medications for asthma management and charting peak flow readings.
In the yellow zone section which covers situations in which the patient is starting to experience difficulties, the asthma action plan spells out what to do. The patient may be asked to take several puffs on a rescue inhaler, and to wait for improvement. If symptoms get worse, the patient may be pushed into the red zone, requiring immediate medical attention. While in the red zone, the patient has extreme difficulty breathing and may experience other symptoms such as a bluing of the nails which indicates poor oxygenation. In the red zone, the patient is advised to call emergency services.
Typically, the bottom of an asthma action plan also discusses potential asthma triggers and allergies. This information can be used by the patient to avoid such triggers, and is also a handy record inside the patient's chart. By checking the copy of the asthma action plan in the chart, a doctor can get a quick overview of how well controlled the patient's asthma is, what kind of triggers can cause an asthma attack for the patient, and so forth. This information can be helpful when making decisions about treatment.