Module 3: Respiratory Disorders Flashcards
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Respiratory disease characterized by airflow limitation and inflammation that is progressive and not fully reversible; it is usually a combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis
Characteristics:
- Slow progression of disease
- Exacerbation caused by triggers (i.e. Infection, inhalation/exposure, poor air quality)
Caused by:
- Smoking (80-90%)
- Occupational dust and chemicals, outdoor air pollution, and secondhand smoke
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (enzyme made in the liver that provides lungs protective properties)
Risk factors:
- Secondhand smoke
- Delayed lung growth during gestation and childhood
- Aging
- Airway hyperactivity (i.e. Asthma)
- Alcohol consumption
Emphysema
Destruction of alveoli; the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged
Pathophysiology of emphysema: Inhaled particles breakdown elastin, resulting in decreased alveolar recoil and damage
Characterized by:
- Premature collapse of small airways
- Air trapping
- Decreased gas exchange
- Respiratory acidosis
- Hypoxemia
Chronic Bronchitis
Diagnosis: Presence of cough and sputum production for at least 3 mos. in each of 2 consecutive years
Pathophysiology of chronic bronchitis: Chronic irritant exposure resulting in increased mucus production, thickening bronchial walls, and airway obstruction
COPD: Diagnosis
Past & PMHX:
- Cough
- Dyspnea
- Irritant exposure
Physical assessment
Oximetry
Spirometry (PFT) — measures lung volume and air flow:
- Forced vital capacity (FVC): amount of forced air exhaled
- Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1): maximum amount of air exhaled in the first second after maximum inspiration (measures the lungs’ ability to empty quickly)
COPD: Laboratory Studies
Laboratory studies of COPD:
1. Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis
- Sputum culture (infection-induced exacerbations)
- Complete blood count (CBC) — i.e. Elevated WBC count (infection); elevated Hgb (hypoxemia)
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency screening if no other explanation of COPD symptoms
Normal Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) Reference
Normal ABG values:
PaO2 = 80-100
PaCO2 = 35-45
pH = 7.35-7.45
HCO3 = 22-26
- *COPD patients:
1. Decreased PaO2
2. Elevated PaCO2
3. Decreased pH (acidic)
4. Increased HCO3 (compensatory mechanism)
COPD: Imaging
Imaging of patients with COPD:
1. Chest radiography (“gold standard”) — shows hyperinflation and flattened diaphragm
- CT scan (not as common) — thickened bronchial walls
COPD: Diagnostic Procedures
Diagnostic procedures of patients with COPD:
1. Electrocardiography (ECG) — RV hypertrophy (low oxygen levels cause pulmonary HTN, placing excess strain on the heart’s RV)
- Pulmonary function test (PFT) — measure FVC and FEV1
COPD: Physical Findings
Early physical findings of patients with COPD:
- Hyperinflation
- Decreased breath sounds
- Wheezes (constricted airways)
- Crackles at the lung bases
- Distant heart sounds
- Decreased diaphragmatic excursion
- Increased anteroposterior (AP) diameter
Patients diagnosed with end-stage COPD:
- Tripod position
- Full use of accessory respiratory muscles
- Barrel chest
- Pursed-lip expiration
- Hoover sign — inward movement during inspiration (implying flat diaphragm)
- Cyanosis
- Asterixis: tremor of the hand (due to hypercapnia)
- Enlarged, tender liver (RHF)
- Neck vein distention (RHF)
COPD Staging
Grade I (Mild COPD):
- Mild airflow limitation
- Some chronic cough and sputum production
- May/may not be aware of abnormal lung function
Grade II (Moderate COPD):
- Worsening airflow limitation
- SOB on exertion
- Patient seeks medical attention for chronic symptoms or exacerbation
Grade III (Severe COPD):
- Further worsening of airflow limitation
- Greater SOB and reduced exercise capacity
- Repeated exacerbations impact quality of life
Grade IV (Very Severe COPD):
- Severe airflow limitation
- Quality of life appreciably impaired
- Exacerbations may be life-threatening
COPD: Complications
Complications of patients with COPD:
1. RHF — the body compensates for decreased oxygen levels by increasing pressure in the arteries and lungs, causing pulmonary HTN; difficulty to send blood to the pulmonary arteries results in RV enlargement and wall thickening
- Cor pulmonale — any alteration in the structure and function of the RV caused by a primary disorder of the respiratory system
- Arrhythmias — any alteration in structure of the heart causing a change in the heart’s electrical conduction system
- Pneumonia — airways swell and become blocked with mucus, making it hard to breathe (leaves the respiratory system more susceptible to infections)
- Pneumothorax — damaged lung tissue can cause air to leak into the space between the lungs and chest wall, collapsing the lungs
- Severe weight loss and malnutrition — every bit of energy is used to breathe; patients with COPD have very high resting metabolic rates
- Osteoporosis — bone loss due to malnutrition, sharing of many risk factors (age, smoking, inactivity), and corticosteroid treatment
COPD: Treatment
Goals of COPD treatment:
- Assess and monitor the disease
- Reduce risk factors
- Manage stable COPD
- Manage exacerbations
Meds.:
- Bronchodilators (i.e. Short and long-acting beta-2 agonists)
- ICS if bronchodilators do not work — reduce inflammation, making air flow easier in the lungs
- Oxygen therapy
COPD: Oxygen Therapy
Oxygen therapy for patients with COPD:
- Goal: Achieve an oxygen saturation value >90%
- Precautions/complication due to oxygen toxicity
- Increased fall risk: Oxygen tubing
Normal lungs: Central chemoreceptors in medulla sense hypercarbia (stimulus to breathe), increasing RR
COPD: Over time, patients with COPD have gradual increase in CO2; there stimulus to breathe is hypoxia
Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NIPPV)
Provides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), allowing delivery of air and oxygen at a higher volume (and not at a higher oxygen percentage), thus preventing oxygen toxicity
Higher pressure gets past constricted airways, opens the alveoli, and makes it easier to exhale CO2
Considerations:
- Skin irritation and breakdown (device-related pressure injury)
- Nasal irritation and dryness
- Eye irritation
- Sinus pain and congestion
- Barotrauma: injury caused by a change in air pressure
- Gastric distention
- Nutrition (NPO status)
- Risk for falls
- Delirium
NIPPV: Nasal Mask
Advantages of NIPVV nasal masks:
- Best suited for patients who are cooperative, with low severity of illness
- Causes less claustrophobia
- Allows for speaking, coughing, and secretion clearance
- Decreased emesis aspiration risk
- Generally better tolerated
Disadvantages of NIPPV nasal masks:
- Increased risk of air leaks from mouth
- Limited effectiveness in patients with nasal deformities or blocked nasal passages