Air quality self-management in asthmatic patients with COPD: An integrative review for developing nursing interventions to prevent exacerbations

Objectives: Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap (ACO) patients experience a lower quality of life, frequent exacerbations, and worse pulmonary function. Environmental management is essential in a complex chronic condition, as pollutant exposure can worsen symptoms and increase morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify evidence that informs nursing interventions in promoting self-management of air quality in asthmatic people with COPD.

Methods: We conducted an integrative review in March of 2023. We searched the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Scopus, Web of Science, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Evidence-Based Practice Database, and Google Scholar. We included articles whose participants were adults with asthma, COPD, or both; the intervention was air quality management and the outcome of any exacerbations. We excluded editorials, letters, commentaries, opinion papers, position papers, study protocols, conference abstracts, and reviews. Data extraction and synthesis were performed, categorizing interventions according to nursing actions. Methodological quality assessment was conducted using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist tools. The review protocol was registered at Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5Y4KW).

Results: We included five articles from different countries. The interventions promoting air quality self-management for individuals with asthma and COPD included vigilance interventions (health professional regular visits, assessment of symptoms), monitoring interventions (measurement of indoor and outdoor trigger factors), and educational interventions (air quality alerts, allergen avoidance). Policy interventions such as smoke-free policies and comprehensive strategies to improve air quality were also identified. These areas of focus represent critical components of nurses' interventions and can integrate the fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. Although the studies reveal heterogeneous interventions and the methodological quality is variable, these interventions showed potential for preventing exacerbations, reducing emergency department visits, and minimizing hospitalizations.

Conclusions: The study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach involving nurses in multidisciplinary teams to air quality self-management. They can use these results to inform their interventions and ways of knowing, benefiting individuals with asthma and COPD. Further research is needed to expand the evidence base and refine these interventions.