Asthma

What is COPD? Let’s just say it is a condition that makes it harder for any individual who may have it to breathe. Two forms that can lead to COPD are; Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema. A main cause to COPD is long-term exposure to substance that can irritate as well as damage the lungs. The main focus with irritants is caused by cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes as well as dust. At times with COPD you may not feel symptoms; there can either be no symptoms or mild symptoms. As the…

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) COPD is a type of lung disease marked by permanent damage to tissues in the lungs, making it hard to breathe. COPD includes chronic bronchitis, bronchi are inflamed and scarred and also emphysema, the alveoli are damaged. It develops over many years and is usually caused by cigarette smoking; pollutants, irritants, dust and chemical fumes can also be a cause. COPD is a progressive disease, which means it gets worse over time. Causing your…

Thank you for referring Cinzia Canturi, a 40-year-old lady who is currently not working, but previously was working in an office and a clothing warehouse. Cinzia is a non-smoker and keeps no pets. She does not take any regular medications but will use Advil, Voltaren and paracetamol on a prn basis for migraines. Around a month ago, Cinzia developed a dry cough with a tickle in the throat. A couple of days later, she started to notice a choking and the sensation of her throat closing over.…

Mr. T is a 55-year-old man with a history of Pre-diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypercholesterolemia who presents with a chief complaint of “pressure on the chest” that lasted 5 mins. Mr. T was in his usual state of health until three days ago when he felt a gradually increasing pressure on his chest as he was shoveling snow at 7:30 am. The discomfort caused him to immediately stop shoveling and the pain resolved on its own with rest within 2 to 3 minutes, and he has not experienced any discomfort…

Summary of Clinical History: A 56 year-old obese male, living alone in Chicago, was found dead in his home. Patient presented with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gout. Feet were swollen and necrotic along with poor vision. High levels of ketones were found in the urine and toxicology reports came back with metformin, glyburide, and novolin-N in the system Description of Gross Lesions: External Examination: Respiratory System: I examined the trachea and saw it in good shape and…

Many different items can be the cause of someone choking. When a person, adult or child, is choking they lose all oxygen going to the brain. When they lose all oxygen to their brain, someone needs to administer first aid as soon as possible to decrease chances of any permeant damage. The item for adults that usually causes choking is often food, but in children it is often a small object. Although there is a universal sign for choking, a victim may not always use it. If they do not have…

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is the adverse, recurring symptoms that occupants experience during their time spent in a building (Khan & Karuppayil, 2012). Notably, SBS affects 19.4% of office workers (Ooi, Goh, Phoon, Foo, & Yap, 1998). Those affected experience short term ailments such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, and coughing that consequently hinder efficiency and increase absenteeism (Joshi, 2008). A common cause of SBS is the presence of bioaerosols, most notably mold, a form of fungal…

Each day a surface as large as a tennis court is exposed to a volume of air and contaminants that would fill a swimming pool1. Inhaled particulates pass through the nasal cavity where it encounters several different obstacles. As particles move deeper into the respiratory system, inhaled particles that transverse these barriers continually are filtered down to a size of 1-5 micrometers. The nasal cavity begins the filtration process. It contains physical barriers that can filter particles down…

Pathophysiology Q 1.1. 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…

Anaphylaxis in the Emergency Department Anaphylaxis is a hypersensitivity reaction and can start immediately after a trigger. Anaphylaxis is common in the emergency department and is considered a medical emergency when symptoms are present. This disorder does not discriminate when it comes to age, gender or race. Reactions commonly occur due to medications, insect stings, aeroallergens and food allergies. This disorder can progress rapidly with multiple reactions throughout the body. Without…