PharmacologyQuestion 81 of 100
A patient with asthma is prescribed albuterol by metered-dose inhaler. How should the medical assistant describe its purpose?
a.It is a fast-acting bronchodilator that relaxes airway muscles to relieve wheezing and shortness of breath
b.It is an antibiotic that cures the underlying asthma
c.It is a long-term sedative that slows breathing
d.It replaces the need for any other asthma medication permanently
Explanation
Albuterol is a short-acting bronchodilator that relaxes smooth muscle in the airways, producing rapid relief of wheezing and shortness of breath during an asthma flare. Asthma is not a bacterial infection, so antibiotics have no role. Slowing respiration would worsen an attack, and rescue inhalers do not replace controller medications prescribed for long-term management.
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