Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the name applied to two related diseases, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterised by abnormal inflammatory obstruction of the airways, lung parenchyma, (respiratory bronchioles and alveoli) and pulmonary blood vessels (Brown, 2013). Research shows that COPD is being recognised as an inflammatory disorder of the large and small airways characterized by remodelling and emphysematous changes in the lung parenchyma (Ceylan, 2006). Thereby this represents characteristic and adaptive immune reaction to long term exposure to airborne contaminates and cigarette smoke (MacNee, 2006). In COPD, several processes occur, such as, mucus hypersecretion …show more content…
Pathophysiology of pneumonia can vary depending on the offending organism, some viruses may cause direct injury or even cell death, although many organisms may only trigger an inflammatory in the lungs. Increase in blood flow may be triggered by a vascular reaction, and regulation of vascular permeability. In a medical situation such as pneumonia, the neutrophils are activated to help fight the infection by digesting microorganisms and releasing enzymes that would destroy the microorganisms (Brown, 2013). Fluid from surrounding blood vessels, the neutrophils and the offending microorganism fill the alveoli and disturb normal oxygen transportation resulting in signs and symptoms of hypoxia, shortness of breath, (a symptom expressed in Roberts diagnose). With the increase of mucus, the obstructed airflow and with further decrease of gas exchange, thereby normally air-filled alveoli become filled with debris and fluid, this would all exacerbate Roberts condition. Healing occurs when the macrophages engulfs and digests the debris, microbes and other substances as these cells form a response to the infection (Brown,