Matt stumbled into Maria’s apartment. It was 4 a.m. and completely dark. Unable to talk, he simply grabbed Maria’s foot to get her attention.

Part A: Matt stumbled into Maria’s apartment. It was 4 a.m. and completely dark. Unable to talk, he simply grabbed Maria’s foot to get her attention. She helped Matt onto the bed, slipping a mask over his face to deliver nebulized albuterol. Asthma is a condition caused by chronic inflammation of the small airways in the lungs. This leads to swelling and increased mucus production within conducting zone passageways. Due to the chronic inflammation, an asthmatic’s airways are already more narrow than the airways of an individual without this disease. Situations that may cause the airways to constrict or spasm are common. Exposure to dry and/or cold air, contact with pollen or other allergens, illnesses such as a cold or the flu, certain medications and foods, or even just stress can cause this bronchoconstriction to occur. This usually does not cause a problem for a non-asthmatic, but for someone with asthma, bronchoconstriction can severely decrease the diameter of the already swollen, mucus-producing airways, making it very difficult to move air into and out of the lungs. The decrease in air flow can range from mild to life-threatening, and may cause a great deal of anxiety for someone actively suffering from an acute asthma exacerbation, or asthma attack. Following his nebulizer treatment, Matt was breathing a little better and able to talk. He mentioned to Maria that he has been on a long-term asthma preventative – Advair. However, he forgot to take it for a while because he could not find the inhaler. Questions: 1. Describe the anatomy of the respiratory passageways 2. What are the three factors involving the airways that lead to an asthma attack? 3. What is contained within a quick-relief rescue inhaler? 4. What is nebulized albuterol, and how does it help with an asthma exacerbation? Part B: Please discuss the following topics. 1. Describe the power of the adaptive immune response to cure disease 2. Explain immunological deficiencies and over-reactions of the immune system 3. Describe the interaction of the immune and lymphatic systems with other body systems