Chronic Bronchitis: An Obstructive Disease

Acute bronchitis is one of the most common diagnoses encountered in a primary care setting. It affects millions of individuals resulting in significant impact on health of patients and health care industry. Studies have shown that 90% of times acute bronchitis is caused by a virus, yet health care providers are failing to treat or manage these patients with appropriate therapies (Knutson & Braun, 2002). The focus of this paper is to review the guidelines for treatment of acute bronchitis after differentiating acute bronchitis from other common respiratory disease in terms of epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, complications and patient education. Understanding the evaluation and treatment guidelines, nurse practitioners can provide evidence-based practice for patients with acute bronchitis.

Have you ever known a person who smokes and has a hard time doing every day activities, due to difficulty of breath, or constantly coughing. He or she may have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD. COPD is a progressive and treatable lung disease that causes shortness of breath due to obstruction of air way (COPD, 2013). Progressive means that is gradually gets worse over time. It is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (Causes,2014). Chronic bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchioles, which causes mucus build up (Davis,2016). Emphysema is when the air sacs get enlarged (Smoking, 2016). Since the disease does not have a cure yet it is important to know pathology (path of disease), epidemiology (who is effected in a population), ethology (who is effected genetically), manifestation (symptoms), treatment, and outcome.

Chronic bronchitis is caused by inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes. These tubes carry oxygen to and from the alveoli of the lungs.

Bronchiolitis is a lower respiratory infection caused commonly by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the first two years of life. Nearly every child in the United States will be infected with RSV before its second birthday. The condition is a leading cause of hospital admissions among children under the age of two. The populations most frequently and severely affected by bronchiolitis include; infants less than 12 months of age, children born at a low gestational age (less than 32 weeks), and children with chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, or immunodeficiency. Standardized and proper diagnosis and management are essential to effective treatment. The guideline established by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2014 provides practitioners with recommendations for diagnosis, management, and prevention of bronchiolitis in children.

Their are two major types of COPD, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In emphysema the walls between the air sacs are destroyed. In turn the sacs loose their shape. Their become fewer larger air sac instead of of numerous smaller one. This causes problems with the body getting enough oxygen ("COPD"). Without oxygen the body has to use anaerobic respiration, this is only a short term solution. Our bodies can do this but it produces lactic acid. Our bodies normally use aerobic respiration with requires oxygen. Chronic Bronchitis is when the airways are irritated and inflamed. The linings of the airways also become thick, along with an excess mucus formation. This causes breathlessness ("COPD").

Based on the findings from the case study was R.S has been a smoker for many years. One of the most significant risk factors for determining COPD is cigarette smoking. In determining this we need to the amount he has smoked as well as how often he has smoked that lead to the chronic bronchitis. What that means is that the airway mainly the bronchi is inflamed. Since it is chronic, which is a specific condition has been occurring for many years. This kind of diagnosis can lead to the coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial vascular disease.

Chronic bronchitis is much more serious. Chronic bronchitis can last up to two years. Chronic bronchitis symptoms can get better or worse. bronchitis can sometimes be self-healing. Medications include nonsteroids anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesic narcotic, and cough medicine. If chronic bronchitis

Bronchiectasis is a lung condition which may create breathing problems that produce dramatic effects on how you function on a day to day basis. It causes the airways that bring air both to and from the lungs to widen and become flimsy, slowing the ability of the airway to clear away mucus. After enough time, this will prevent the airways to moving air in and out of the lungs.

Chronic bronchitis’ occurs in a period of more than three months that continues in a period of two years (Copstead & Banasik, 2013, p. 483). The destruction of bronchial walls will result in dilation of airway sacs. The dilated sacs contain infected secretion from streptococcal and staphylococcal pneumonia, which can spread to nearby areas of the lungs such as other areas of the body and even to the brain.

The clinical findings that correlate with M.K’s Chronic bronchitis are the chronic cough with sputum and the fact that she has smoked for twenty-two years. Chronic bronchitis is defined as a daily cough with sputum production for at least three consecutive months for two years in a row. Chronic bronchitis is also usually associated with long term tobacco use. When you have COPD, the airways of the lungs become inflamed and thickened which make them narrow. They can become clogged with mucus and makes it difficult for air to get in and out of the lungs. Which leads to persistent coughing as your body tries to get rid of the extra mucus.

Bronchiolitis is defined by the textbook as, “a diffuse, inflammatory obstruction in the small airways or bronchioles occurring most commonly in children” (Heuther & McCance, 2012). It is an acute inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract that occurs most commonly in infants and is caused by infection with seasonal viruses such as respiratory synctial virus (RSV) (Zorc & Hall, 2010). Bronchiolitis often results from an obstruction of the small airways. It is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States (Zorc & Hall 2010) and is arguably the most common significant medical illness of childhood, with at least “1 in 7 normal infants developing symptomatic bronchiolitis in his or her first year of

There are an abundance of different types of respiratory diseases/disorders. Many respiratory disorders cause difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, coughing, etc. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is a general term for a group of different lung diseases, such as emphysema or bronchitis. COPD is a progressive lung disorder which means it starts out slowly developing and gradually worsens over time. COPD, similar to other respiratory diseases, may start out with mild symptoms that the average person may not associate with having a disease. COPD is a progressive “lung disease characterized by chronic obstruction of lung airflow that interferes with normal breathing and is not fully reversible”

Chronic obstructive disease (COPD) is an irreversible lung disease that comprises emphysema and chronic bronchitis which impedes airflow for normal breathing. Usually, this happens as a result of continual exposure to toxins found in cigarettes. Unfortunately, due to the nature of COPD most people expend an abundant of energy just to breathe. According to St. Florian’s article Nutrition and COPD - Dietary Considerations for Better Breathing (2009) it is stated:

A qualitative study was to assess the physical and psychosocial impact of bronchiectasis. A total of 32 patients had diagnosis of bronchiectasis attended four focus groups. Each focus group was videotaped and subjected to qualitative analysis using the grounded theory approach. Patients demonstrated the potential to self-manage with strategies including self-regulation of medication and airway clearance. Patients suggested that self-management could be promoted through disease-specific information and appropriate healthcare procedures. The conclusion of this study shows that the patients with bronchiectasis have their lives disrupted by this chronic condition, but are receptive to self-management. The present study has given information from

This paper will discuss a case study of Liam, a three-month-old boy who is transferred from the General Practitioner (GP) to paediatric ward with bronchiolitis. Initially, Liam’s chief health issues will be identified, following by nursing assessment and diagnoses of the child’s need. Focus will be made on the management of two major health problems: respiratory distress and dehydration, and summary and evaluation of the interventions with evidence of learning. Lastly, a conclusion of author’s self-evaluation will be present.