COPD DIAGNOSIS
Question
Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:
•Describe COPD diagnosis, management, and prevention strategies suggested in the COPD guidelines. Explain how to implement these strategies in a clinical setting.
•Explain your diagnosis for the patient in the case study that you selected. Compare the patient’s pulmonary function test results to the COPD guidelines when making your diagnosis.
•Describe treatment and management options based on the patient’s diagnosis
Answer and Explanation
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has become a common condition in recent years because of the significant increase in the number of people smoking as well as those in near proximity of the smokers. The inhaled smoke alter the functioning of lungs hence can lead to airflow obstruction and airway inflammation. To diagnose the condition, physicians follow these COPD guidelines procedures; ask for symptoms, examining breathing through stethoscope, ask whether the patient smokes, calculate body mass index and ask for family history (Nazir & Erbland, 2009)
For COPD to be possible, the patient should have these symptoms; wheezing, shortness of breath during heavy activities, chest tightness, chronic cough that has mucus and patients will often clear their throats every time they wake up. If stethoscope doesn’t show anything solid, pulmonary function testing which consists of a range of methods of measuring air intake by the lungs and how efficient oxygen is transmitted into the blood; spirometry is one of the techniques that show the functioning of the lungs (Nazir & Erbland, 2009).
When using these methods, volume of inhaled and exhaled air are taken then compared to that of normal population; when using the forced vitality capacity metrics, normal forced expiratory flow is 25-75 (FEF24 75%). Chest x rays and blood tests are also recommended when detecting lung cancer, chest infection, anemia and polycythemia. Being a chronic condition, management is the only avenue; the first approach is to improve on the diet. COPD is associated with reduced diaphragmatic mass, lower capacity and higher mortality rates. Better diets can ease some of the problems above (Zaporozhan, Ley, Eberhardt,Weinheimer, Iliyushenko, Herth, & Kauczor, 2005)
