Acute Exacerbation Case Study

The study began with 32 patients having stages II to IV COPD. They had to meet the criteria pertaining to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; total lung capacity >120%, (FEV1/FVC) <70%, FEV1 <80%, RV/TLC >140% and >40% of predicted values in stable conditions. Patients were removed from the study if they had asthma, heart failure, orthopedic impairments of the shoulder girdle, recent surgery, past thoracic fractures, pneumothorax, and claustrophobia.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss an exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and its effect on my patient, Mr. HS, a 78 year old male. In this paper we will look at the various facets in the disease process including its incidence, pathophysiology, presenting complaints, analysis of his clinical presentation, and discuss treatment. We will analyze the effect the disease process has on Mr. HS and will examine his clinical manifestations and laboratory work, as well as provide an outcome analysis. Understanding these various facets will enable one to understand

BB, 86, presented to EMCH with pneumonia and a history of COPD and heart failure. The chief complaint for admission was shortness of breath and chest pain. She was put on many medications to help her conditions. A patient with COPD has weakened lungs already so getting control over her pneumonia was that much more important. General overall health is key to preventing infections in COPD patients (Faris, 2012).

COPD is one of the greatest causes of disability and mortality in the twenty first century with future predictions painting an even graver story. Occupation, genome, and primarily smoking are the main causes of COPD. COPD is the third leading cause of death in America, claiming the lives of 134,676 Americans in 2010. Symptoms are typical of a constant smokers cough which progresses into the debilitating palliative stage of the disease; the development of co-morbidities exacerbates these symptoms. COPD has a complex pathophysiology involving hyperinflation, excessive mucus production and airway remodeling; diagnosis is through lung function tests. COPD is poorly managed with few effective treatments and a poor

Intervention for COPD is focused on managing underlying conditions. The goal is to improve airway function. Some strategies include using antibiotics to treat infection, diuretics which reduce pressure on the heart and lungs, some bronchodilators to help expanding the airways, as well as corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, and last in severe cases use of mechanical ventilation can be efficient and effective to keep oxygenation in an optimal level

Ms. D.P aged 18 years, female, single, studying 2 year B.Com in a private college, hailing from middle socio economic background of urban society. Presented with the complaints of being very anxious, having fear that she will die, feeling that others are watching her, talking about her and making fun of herself, behaving violently, trying to commit suicide, laughing to self and starting to laugh at the sight of men for no apparent reason. All these symptoms were present for the past 3 months with acute onset and continuous course, with no other physiological or organic complaints.

COPD diagnosed patients are always on priority to get the lab work done quick due to concern of how severe the symptoms of the disease are. One of the labs that was done on ES is arterial blood gases (ABGs). ABGs lab shows the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide saturation in the arterial blood, also the acidity (ph) of the blood. Upon reading through the chart, it was noted that ph levels were below average at 7.34. It was shown that the blood is on acidic side of the scale. Further assessment revealed that partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) was well above of normal average at 61.5, the normal values of that are 35-45. Having ph of blood on acidic side and PCO2 on high levels interprets as respiratory acidosis. ES is having trouble

The AECOPD are the leading cause of medical consultation and hospitalization in patients with COPD, also determining degradation of quality of life and aggravation the anatomical and functional damage and respiratorio5-12 placing it is self directly or indirectly as a frequent cause of mortality 13-17, which can reach percentages very high even at the time of discharge distance in severe patients hospitalized and needing ventilation mechine18. The AECOPD correlate with the severity of COPD, being more frequent in patients with major functional impairment and can leave the patient temporarily in significant physical disability conditions even after the from hospital 19,20 discharges. Recently it was also shown a grouping temporary exacerbation,

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, also known as COPD, is the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD includes extensive lungs diseases such as emphysema, non-reversible asthma, specific forms of bronchiectasis, and chronic bronchitis. This disease restricts the flow of air in and out of the lungs. Ways in which these limitations may occur include the loss of elasticity in the air sacs and throughout the airways, the destruction of the walls between air sacs, the inflammation or thickening of airway walls, or the overproduction of mucus in airways which can lead to blockage. Throughout this paper I am going to explain the main causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and ways to reduce COPD.

COPD is an abbreviated term for the lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and it is seen in people everyday. It is estimated that this disease affects roughly 24 million individuals in the U.S.. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease occurs in other countries instead of just the United States. It is increasing rapidly and therapies currently do not alter the disease (Gross “Abstract”). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease can be caused by smoking, environmental factors and or genetic factors, which are the top three risk factors for this disease (COPD Foundation). Although it can be genetic, it is mostly caused by inhaling pollutants.This disease may be slightly treated if not all the way by different breathing techniques and medications. COPD is a lung disease that worsens as it progresses to the point that it may be life threatening, but it can be prevented by staying away or using caution around pollutants such as harsh fumes and cigarette smoke.

There are no cure for this disease. However, there are different treatment to prevent further deterioration of the lungs function in order to improve the quality of life of the patient by increasing capacity of their physical activity. One of the main severe complication a patient with COPD can develop is exacerbation. Increased breathlessness, increased sputum volume and purulent sputum are the signs and symptoms of exacerbation. Early detection of the signs of exacerbation can help keep the condition of the patient from worsening. The treatments of COPD mainly aims at controlling the symptoms of exacerbation such as taking inhalers. Patients who are over the age of 35 and ex-smokers with chronic cough and bronchitis are recommended to have spirometer (NICE, 2004). This is because it is possible to delay or prevent patients from developing severe case of COPD is identified before they lose their lungs functions. Oxygen therapy is another treatment for COPD as the patients with this condition has high

I will analyse the prevalence of the condition and what the potential causes may be. My interests have been directed to pre hospital care and community lead treatment packages, which are potentially available to the patient, as this is the acute environment, which I will have contact with in my employment as a paramedic. The initial reading was to understand COPD as a chronic condition, what is COPD? and its prevalence in the population. The (World health organisation, 2000), states that one in four deaths in the world are caused by COPD. In 2010 (Vos T Flaxman etal, 2012), says globally there were approximately 329 million, which is 4.8% of the population who are affected by this chronic condition, In the UK (NICE, 2010), have estimated that 3 million people suffer from COPD, with more yet to be diagnosed. This information about the amount of people living with this condition was surprising, as I little knowledge of its existence. During the early 1960’s (Timothy Q. Howes, 2005), says the term COPD had been designated as a single term unifying all the chronic respiratory diseases. Since then the term COPD, has been sub divided in to three umbrella areas, Bronchitis, Emphysema and Chronic asthma, which are separate conditions, which I have been previously aware of as their individual conditions. The 58 year old patient who we visited,

All over the world, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a very significant and prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality, and it is increasing with time (Hurd, 2000; Pauwels, 2000; Petty, 2000). Due to the factor of COPD being an underdiagnosed and undertreated disease, the epidemiology (Pauwels, Rabe, 2004) is about 60 to 85 % with mild or moderate COPD remaining undiagnosed (Miravitlles et al., 2009; Hvidsten et al., 2010).

COPD is a disease that makes it difficult for a person to breath. Symptoms include wheezing, fatigue, coughing, and shortness of breath. COPD is caused mostly by smoking. One should quit smoking to reduce their chances of getting it and if they already have it, to reduce the severity of symptoms. The two main forms of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. A variety of tests may be used in the diagnosis of COPD such as Spirometry and X-rays. Unfortunately, COPD has no known cure but treatment may include bronchodilators, oral steroids, long-term antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and even oxygen therapy, IV steroids, or use of a Bi-PAP.

People those are at risk for are the one with thin skin and limited mobility like such as geriatric population. Pressure Ulcers can develops within two to six hours. There are so many intrinsic and extrinsic risk associated with the development of this clinical issue like such as diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral vascular disease (PAD), cerebral vascular accident (CVA), hypotension and sepsis.