Adult Bronchiectasis Specialist Service
How to manage your condition
| Patient Name: |
| Hospital or NHS No: |
| Completed by: |
| Date issued: |
Day to day advice
(Day to day symptoms – not during an infection)
Cough – I normally cough:
[…] Most days of the week
[…] One or two days of the week
[…] A few days per month
[…] Only with chest infections
What colour is it?
[…] Clear
[…] White
[…] Light yellow or green
[…] Dark yellow or green
Is your sputum:
[…] Watery
[…] Thick but cleared easily
[…] Thick and difficult to clear
[…] Blood stained
Other symptoms:
[…] Wheeze
[…] Tiredness
Sputum – I normally cough sputum:
[…] Everyday
[…] Most days of the week
[…] One or two days of the week
[…] A few days per month
[…] Only with chest infections
How much do you cough day to day?
[…] 1 Teaspoon
[…] 1 Tablespoon
[…] A sputum pot
[…] More than a sputum pot
Breathlessness – I normally get breathlessness
[…] Walking around home
[…] Walking outside on flat level
[…] Walking up a flight of stairs
[…] Playing sports
[…] Only with chest infections
[…] I am never breathlessness
Chest clearance:
[…] Active cycle breathing techniques (ACBT
[…] Acapella or aerobika
[…] Other
| Frequency: |
Day to day advice
- Take your medication and inhalers as prescribed
- Never allow medications to run out
- Drink plenty of fluids, eat a healthy diet and take regular exercise
- Do not smoke, if required ask for help from your GP or practice nurse
- Get your annual flu vaccination
- Keep up to date with your pneumonia vaccination
- Avoid visiting people with a cold, flu or chest infections
- Keep a supply of sputum pots in the house
- Be familiar with how much sputum you produce and expectorate and its colour
Managing your chest during an exacerbation
Chest clearance:
[…] ACBT
[…] Acapella or aerobika
[…] Other
| Frequency: |
Recognising a chest Infection or flare up
Signs (one or more of the following):
- Feeling generally unwell
- Coughing up more sputum
- Worsening colour to your sputum
Worsening of breathlessness
How to manage your exacerbation
Routine GP
If you feel your bronchiectasis is worse without a change in the amount, or colour of your sputum but no improvement is seen within 48 hours.
Action:
- Take sputum sample clearly labelled with Bronchiectasis to your GP or surgery
- Do not start antibiotics until you are seen by the GP, practice nurse or community matron
Urgent GP
When you suspect a chest infection, you feel unwell, expectorating more sputum and/or darker in colour, more breathless or:
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain is present with breathing
Action:
- Collect sputum sample and take this to your GP clearly labelled with Bronchiectasis
- Start prescribed antibiotics before waiting for sputum result
Emergency GP 111 or 999
- When you are feeling confused or drowsy
- Coughing up large amounts of blood
- Severely breathless
My usual medications
| Medication | Dose | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Drug allergies: |
Blood tests
| Blood tests | Results | Date |
|---|---|---|
Immunisations
| Yes | No | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flu or influenza | |||
| Pneumococcal or pneumonia vaccine |
Record of infections
| Date | Antibiotic used (oral or intravenous and dose) | Length of course (days) | Sputum submitted?(YES/NO) | Hospital admission (YES/NO) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Record of infections
| Date | Antibiotic used (oral or intravenous and dose) | Length of course (days) | Sputum submitted?(YES/NO) | Hospital admission (YES/NO) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Contact numbers
| Bronchiectasis Team: |
| Out of hours service: |
| GP practice: |
| Community matron: |
Contact us
If you require further information please contact us on:
Telephone: 01642 854241
Email: [email protected]
Modified from the BTS Bronchiectasis self-management plan
Patient experience
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.
This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.
To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the Patient Experience Department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print.
T: 01642 835964
E: [email protected]