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Pulmonary Case Study : Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( Copd ) Essay

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Pulmonary Case Study Analysis and Care Plan Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is most prevalent in the older adult and smokers. It is the third leading cause of death in the United States and affects 329 million people worldwide. The disease also carries a burden on the economy with an estimated cost of $29.5 billion annually for treating exacerbations (Hattab, Alhassan, Balaan, Lega, & Singh, 2016). It is defined as the limitation of airflow within the airway and lungs secondary to a chronic inflammatory response from exposure to noxious stimuli. Repeated exposure to chemicals like cigarette smoke lead to the destruction of the lung parenchyma and alveoli decreasing the lungs ability to appropriately exchange gases (Baraldo, Turato & Saetta, 2012). The disease is both preventable and treatable with appropriate evidence-based practice and patient education as presented. Normal Pulmonary Function The primary function of the lungs is to move air into and out of the respiratory system and to perform gas exchange of oxygen into the blood and release carbon dioxide through expirations. The air movement begins with the bronchial tree with inspired air being moved into the lungs then into the pulmonary capillaries and finally into the alveoli where gas exchange takes place (Baraldo, Turato & Saetta, 2012). Within the bronchial tree, pollutants or foreign noxious stimulants are often identified here. Cilia work to remove them by triggering the cough reflex and with

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