Anatomy of the lungs: The lungs are in the thoracic cavity on either sides of the heart and are cone shaped. Each lung is divided into superior and inferior lobes. The right lung also has a middle lobe on top of those two. They are spongy air filled organs. The trachea, which is also referred to as the windpipe, conducts air into the lungs through the bronchi. The bronchi are further divided into smaller branches called bronchioles. Those then end in clusters of microscopic air sacs called alveoli. The lungs are covered by a thin tissue layer called pleura, which further acts as lubricants for the lungs to slip with each breath.…
R.S. has smoked for many years and has developed chronic bronchitis, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He also has a history of coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial vascular disease. His arterial blood gas (ABG) values are pH = 7.32, PaCO2 = 60 mm Hg, PaO2 = 50 mm Hg, HCO3- = 30 mEq/L. His hematocrit is 52% with normal red cell indices. He is using an inhaled ß2 agonist and Theophylline to manage his respiratory disease. At this clinic visit, it is noted on a chest x-ray that R.S. has an area of consolidation in his right lower lobe that is thought to be consistent with pneumonia.…
*As COPD worsens, the amount of oxygen in the blood decreases and causes hypoxemia and the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood increases which causes RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS, which then results in METABOLIC ALKALOSIS when the kidneys retain bicarbonate as a compensation…
Increase concentrations of hydrogen ions (H+) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood are the primary…
Respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all the carbon dioxide the body produces. This causes body fluids, especially the blood, to become too acidic. Chronic respiratory acidosis occurs over a long period of time, this leads to a stable situation, because the kidneys increase body chemicals, such as bicarbonate, that help restore the body’s acid-base balance. Acute respiratory acidosis is a condition in which carbon dioxide builds up quickly, before the kidneys can return the body to a state of balance. Some of the symptoms may include: confusion, fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath, and sleepiness. Some causes of respiratory acidosis are: diseases of the airways, such as asthma; diseases of the chest, such as scoliosis; drugs that suppress breathing, such as narcotics and downers; and severe obesity, which restricts how much the lungs can expand. Treatment may include: bronchodilator drugs to reverse some types of airway obstruction; a breathing machine such as CPAP or BiPAP; oxygen if the blood oxygen level is low; and for smokers, treatment to stop smoking. (Medline Plus, 2014).…
For consequences of COPD, identifies effects: 1) on the right heart, 2) on RBC number, 3) in blood gases, 4) clinical findings…
An excess of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream is particularly dangerous as the concentration of carbon dioxide…
I am using Gibbs (1988) model of reflection as a template for my essay to enable me to analyse this situation. For the purpose of confidentiality I am renaming my patient Jim (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2008). Jim is a 69 year old man, attending the pulmonary rehabilitation programme (PRP). He also has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is prescribed short burst oxygen therapy (SBOT) to alleviate his symptoms.…
D.Z., a 65-year-old man, is admitted to a medical floor for exacerbation of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; emphysema). He has a past medical history of hypertension, which has been well controlled by Enalapril (Vasotec) for the past 6 years. He has had pneumonia yearly for the past 3 years, and has been a 2-pack-a-day smoker for 38 years. He appears as a cachectic man who is experiencing difficulty breathing at rest. He reports cough productive of thick yellow-green sputum. D.Z. seems irritable and anxious; he complains of sleeping poorly and states that lately feels tired most of the time. His vital signs (VS) are 162/84, 124, 36, 102 F, SaO2 88%. His admitting diagnosis is an acute exacerbation of chronic emphysema.…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make breathing difficult. The two main factors that cause COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. “In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs are damaged. As a result, the air sacs lose their shape and become floppy. This damage also can destroy the walls of the air sacs, leading to fewer and larger air sacs instead of many tiny ones. If this happens, the amount of gas exchange in the lungs is reduced. In chronic bronchitis, the lining of the airways is constantly irritated and inflamed. This causes the lining to thicken. Lots of thick mucus forms in the airways, making it hard to breathe. (What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?)”. Patients with COPD are diagnosed by a physical examination, chest radiograph, pulmonary function test, blood gas analysis CT scan and arterial blood gases (Huether and McCance, Pg. 683 and 684). Treatment of COPD includes the use of inhaled anticholinergic, beta agonist, and corticosteroids. Pulmonary therapy, improved nutrition and breathing techniques can improve symptoms. If those treatments fail, then oxygen therapy must be started to ensure the patient is not hypoxic.…
The case study presents the outcome of smoking that resulted to RS’ chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His ABGs’ show partially compensated respiratory acidosis as manifested by decreased pH, increased PaCO2, decreased PaO2 and increased HCO3. RS most likely has the following clinical findings caused by COPD: enlarged right heart along with the signs and symptoms of the right-sided failure, secondary polycythemia, hypoxemia and hypercarbia. The fact that he has chronic bronchitis, his cough is productive with thick mucus, breath sounds are coarse rales and chest is tight. Expected symptoms in emphysema…
Reactive airway disease, also known as asthma, is characterized by a constricting of the airway that carries oxygen to our lungs. This is caused by the air passages inflaming. Although, there are many treatments for asthma, it is still a very severe and hazardous disease that causes almost 2 million emergencies a year and affects nearly 26 million Americans (What 1). There are many aspects to this disease that are very important including; the 3 main features, the types of asthmas along with the signs and symptoms, who it happens to, treatments, and other important facts.…
“Prolonged cold weakens out resistance to infection” is a statement that’s true whether or not you’re in a weakened state of health. For those that are, for instance, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the effects of cold can be much more severe and potentially more likely to be permanently damaging. As is explained by Liesl Osmond, regarding a study conducted regarding temperature and sufferers of COPD, “This is the first time a direct relationship has been found between the number of hours a house is warm and respiratory health status – in this case that of patients with COPD, and it would seem that this relationship is most marked for smokers.” While it should come as no surprise that smoking will effect your respiratory health, it is interesting to note that the smokers that were part of the study who suffered from COPD had better respiratory health when exposed to warmer temperatures than those who lived in buildings with below-ideal temperatures.…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a sever condition which has landed third place in the leading causes of death in the United States. According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (2004) COPD affects about 64 million people and have cause as much as 3 million people. According to health care professionals some people either have chronic bronchitis or emphysema and there are others which have both, although both of…
COPD include renal damage, malnutrition, muscle wasting, osteoporosis, and anemia. (McCance & Huether, 2014, p. 1267).…