Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Asthma is an international health problem of epidemic proportions that affects around 300 million people worldwide with an estimated 250,000 annual deaths. It is the most common chronic childhood disease, and affects 10% of children in the United States (1). The economic burden of the chronic effects of asthma in the United States is estimated to be over $50 billion per year (2). The hallmark of asthma is hyperresponsiveness of the airway smooth muscle and fluctuating levels of…

Thank you for involving me in the care of Silvana Libratore, a 67-year-old lady who is a lifelong non-smoker and has previously worked in an office environment. Silvana keeps no pets. As you are aware, Silvana was initially admitted to The Northern Hospital between the 23rd and 28th of July following a two-week history of cough and breathlessness. A chest x-ray followed by a CTPA study were unremarkable and inflammatory markers were normal. A provisional diagnosis of viral bronchitis…

COPD is a chronic pulmonary disease that affect millions of americans with many new cases diagnosed every day.(National heart,lung and blood institute). COPD commonly refers to two seperate types of illnesses, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This paper will focus on the emphysema side of the illness. COPD is develops slowly, often from cigarette abuse in particular. COPD is a major cause of disability and currently there is no cure available, many people have the disease and do not evene know…

i. Chest x-rays can detect changes in the density of the lungs, more specifically the lower lobes (Christensen & Krockow, 2011, p.1641). Bronchoscopy is particularly useful in pneumonia when aspiration of a foreign objet or food is suspected. A culture and sensitivity test is used to determine the causative bacteria and to specify which antibiotic would be the best to be used. Pulse oximetry is used to monitor oxygenation status. ii. GERD is diagnosed mostly from signs sand symptoms. The gold…

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome The patient in this case study had an onset of acute respiratory distress syndrome brought on by trauma. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a disease state characterized by fluid buildup in the alveoli, making it difficult to oxygenate (MedlinePlus.gov). It is a life-threatening lung condition. The new definition and severity of ARDS are defined as PaO2/ FiO2 with a PEEP of 5+ (200-200) = mild, (100-200) = moderate, (<100) = severe…

follow-up appointments. However, the patient refuses to stop smoking. As healthcare providers we may find this very frustrating, but it is important to continue to educate the patient on the hazards of smoking and how it continues to affect their disease process. A work related example would be the inability to get nurses to volunteer for overtime to assist other floors of the hospital that may be understaffed. There are complaints that these nurses are not being team players. However, many of…

Rapid Response: When should a rapid response be initiated. CODE BLUE!!!! It’s just before shift change and you’re making a last check on your patients, making sure IV bags are full, and administering pain medication to those in need, when you notice your COPD patient isn’t breathing well. As you wake your patient she seems lethargic and disoriented, you do a quick auscultation of her lungs, check your O2 settings and obtain a set of vital signs, seeing that her O2 sat is in the mid 80’s with…

In todays medical field, pulmonary rehabilitation is a critical coponet to help assist people with chronic lung diease. A pulmonary rehab is a program designed to help people with chronic lung diseases to cope with everyday living. The program tailors exercise nutritional needs along with education to help the patient improve his or her quality of life and abililty to function. In addition to making sure, the patient receives the right medication and right dose. Rehabilitation help enhances…

investigation towards the effects of respiratory muscle training for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is critical. Exercise therapy is a regular component in the management of various (chronic) disorders, such as musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory disorders. Respiratory diseases are defined as a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. Respiratory diseases are especially critical to cure and adhere to as they are…

Lung diseases are very prevalent in the United States. According to a study, COPD is diagnosed in almost 24 million individuals in the US and is among the top 4 reasons of death in the country (Rubin, Dhand, Ruppel, Branson, & Hess, 2011). Other prevalent lung illnesses in the United States are asthma, pneumonia, and ARDS, which all correlate with the concept of gas exchange. In each phase in the continuum of healthcare, nurses will be faced with a patient who is diagnosed with a respiratory…