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.
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
Patients will usually have the symptoms seen in asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Exposure to noxious stimuli such as cigarette smoke is a major cause of COPD. Symptoms include productive cough, shortness of breath and wheezing (Nagelmann et al., 2011).
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a recurring illness of the respiratory system that makes it difficult to breathe by restricting the flow of air in and out of the lungs. COPD includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung conditions.
COPD is an irreversible progressive lung disease that makes it harder for people to breath. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (2015), COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, commonly known as COPD, is a slowly progressive inflammatory respiratory disease that affects the airways in the lungs. This makes it difficult for affected individuals to breath and get enough oxygen into their body. According to health statistics, COPD is the third leading cause of death and disability in the U.S.
The fluffy, snowflake white clouds play tag in the intensely blue sky. The trees wave continuously, while their bodies remained still. The birds chirped, loudly, outside the clear, old window of the unnecessarily blue antique house that everyone assumed was strange. No one assumed anything strange about the house owners with one daughter, who was naturally spoiled to the core. No one thought anything about her, or how she had an endless amount of shoes and clothes. Not how she never wore the same clothes twice, ever, her name was Katie Brooks, her mother’s name was Moringa Brooks, and finally, the most important of all, her father’s name was Peterson Brooks. Mr. Brooks may not seem important now, but he is, you’ll see. He was actually the
It is usually progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases, primarily caused by cigarette smoking. A diagnosis of COPD should be considered in any patient over the age of 40 who has symptoms of cough, sputum production, or dyspnea, and/or a history of exposure to risk factors for the disease. A chronic intermittent cough is the earliest symptom. As the disease progresses, the cough is present every day. Sputum may or may not be produced. Symptoms are progressive. COPD can be classified as mild, moderate, severe, and very severe, depending on the severity of the obstruction. (Brunner & Suddarth p.569) H.M has expected findings of a patient with mild to moderate
Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases also known as lung cancer is a condition of slow irreversible progressive airway obstruction which gets worse over time. This includes several obstructive diseases of the lungs, including chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis and pneumoconiosis. The outcome varies with the consequences with COPD. Approximately 12 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with COPD. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
COPD which stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a group of diseases that cause block of airflow, which leads to difficulty in breathing, and these diseases involve chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease.
In order to treat this disease, smokers need to participate in smoking cessation which involves the most important step, to stop smoking. Medications to help treat COPD include bronchodilators, such as inhalers, which relax muscles around the air way. Inhaled steroids can reduce air way inflammation and help prevent exacerbations. Lung therapies include oxygen therapy which will help increase blood oxygen. If severe enough, surgeries such as lung volume reduction surgery, lung transplants, and a bullectomy may be
The study included 100 patients with COPD. All patients fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. According to its demographic and clinical parameters and treatment groups differ among themselves. Completed the study, all patients included in the study. The therapy in all patients with a clinically meaningful improvement of symptoms was observed.
Quitting cigarette smoking: The most effective and important treatment for COPD is to quit cigarette smoking. Patients who continue to smoke will have rapid deterioration in lung function in comparison to those who quit. The aging process itself can cause a very slow decline in lung function. Cigarette smoking can result in a
The most crucial part in any treatment plan for a COPD patient is to stop smoking. By continuing to smoke after a COPD diagnosis could cause your symptoms to worsen and the treatment plan to fail. Medications are another way to treat symptoms and complications. Some of the medications are used on a regular basis or on an as needed basis (PRN). Another treatment is lung therapy, which are often used for moderate to severe cases of COPD. Surgery is also an option for people who the medication has not sufficiently helped or people with severe forms of emphysema. Surgery could be a lung transplant and lung volume reduction
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.
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