A very knowledgeable individual once said, “When you light a cigarette, your life burns with it” and in my opinion, no truer words were ever uttered. Smoking cigarettes disturb, destroy, crush and cripple every organ and system in the body. Furthermore, it negatively alters an individual’s physical appearance, reduces his or her lifespan, and causes and leaves the body susceptible to, a plethora of diseases. When conducting a physical or head to toe assessment on Mr. T the nurse can expect his hair to possess an odor of cigarette smoke and to be brittle, thin, and gray. “Smokers tend have brittle hair and are more likely to go bald and grey than others. Chemicals from tobacco gather in the hair and cause hairs to break off” (Hodgekiss, 2013).
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T has reduced breath sounds and delayed expiratory time. Mr. T may also exhibit expiratory wheezing, shortness of breath, a low SpO2 reading, and a very productive cough. Other discoveries on physical examination may include hyperinflation of the lungs with a barrel shaped mid-section and the use of accessory muscles while breathing. When assessing the lungs of a long-term smoker, assess for signs and symptoms of alterations in oxygen saturation such as altered respiratory rate, depth, or rhythm. Listen for adventitious breath sounds as well as labored or difficult breathing and a persistent cough (smoker’s cough) with clear, white, yellow, or green phlegm; these findings are very common (Potter & Perry,2013, pp.478). When auscultating and palpating the abdomen the nurse can expect to hear high-pitched, hyperactive bowel sounds and Mr. T may feel some pain upon palpation and may complain of diarrhea. These are all symptoms of Crohn’s disease which is very common in long-term smokers. Lastly, during the examination of Mr.T’s upper and lower extremities, the nurse is likely to detect decreased peripheral pulses, lower temperatures in the extremities, pallor cyanosis of the skin, and prolonged capillary refill (Ignatavicius, 2010, pp.
T has reduced breath sounds and delayed expiratory time. Mr. T may also exhibit expiratory wheezing, shortness of breath, a low SpO2 reading, and a very productive cough. Other discoveries on physical examination may include hyperinflation of the lungs with a barrel shaped mid-section and the use of accessory muscles while breathing. When assessing the lungs of a long-term smoker, assess for signs and symptoms of alterations in oxygen saturation such as altered respiratory rate, depth, or rhythm. Listen for adventitious breath sounds as well as labored or difficult breathing and a persistent cough (smoker’s cough) with clear, white, yellow, or green phlegm; these findings are very common (Potter & Perry,2013, pp.478). When auscultating and palpating the abdomen the nurse can expect to hear high-pitched, hyperactive bowel sounds and Mr. T may feel some pain upon palpation and may complain of diarrhea. These are all symptoms of Crohn’s disease which is very common in long-term smokers. Lastly, during the examination of Mr.T’s upper and lower extremities, the nurse is likely to detect decreased peripheral pulses, lower temperatures in the extremities, pallor cyanosis of the skin, and prolonged capillary refill (Ignatavicius, 2010, pp.