Case History Past History Current StatusMr. Peterson is a 56 year old male who is the Captain of Fire Department #32. As a result of the stressful nature of his job, Mr. Peterson has a habit of smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day and has done so for the past 25 years. Mr. Peterson has 2 children, 1 of which is also in the fire department. He has recently celebrated his 25th anniversary with his wife and has 2 grandchildren.During the last few years Mr. Peterson has experienced slight shortness of breath and a mild cough with activity and upon rising in the morning. Recently, Mr. Peterson has noticed that he has difficulty climbing stairs and performing his duties while out on fire calls, which not only produces fatigue but requires him to stop what he is doing to catch his breath. He has noticed being short of breath on exertion and experiencing dyspnea at rest. The only way he can sleep is if he is sitting up with the aid of several pillows. He has an approximate weight loss of 13 pounds in the last 2 months. Mr. Peterson is brought into the Emergency Department by his wife for evaluation because of his increasing dyspnea.On assessment, Mr. Peterson looks thin and frail. He is restless and tachypnic and uses pursed lip breathing. He is sitting on the side of his bed, leaning on an over-bed table. His vital signs are as follows: heart rate 120, respirations 30, blood pressure 140/80. Arterial blood gases indicate the following: PO2 39mmHg; PCO2 52mm Hg; pH 7.32; bicarbonate 36mEq/L. Auscultation of the lungs reveals decreased breath sounds to the bases bilaterally and expiratory wheezes. Mr. Peterson’s chest has an increased anterioposterior diameter and the accessory muscles are being used for ventilation. Mr. Peterson has been diagnosed with COPD. He is treated with a bronchodilator via nebulizer and administered oxygen at 2L/min. Questions1. Discuss the pathophysiology of COPD, including the signs and symptoms.2. Discuss the mechanism of carbon dioxide retention in individuals with COPD.3. Explain the importance of oxygen administration to individuals with COPD.4. Based on the information provided, identify the modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors of COPD, including one strategy to address each modifiable risk factor. Health Science Science Nursing NURS 461 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)
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