Week 2 COPD Flashcards
What is COPD?
- Airflow limitation : alveoli elasticity lost = emphysema
- Airflow obstruction: mucous (bronchitis)
What are 6 risk factors for COPD?
- Cigarette smoking
- Occupational chemicals
- Dust recurring infection
- Heredity (AAT gene)
- Asthma
- Aging
What are 5 signs of COPD?
- Weight loss
- Wheezing
- Chronic dyspnea
- Cough & Sputum
- Chest tightness
what is the late stage of COPD called?
Cor Pulmonale
COPD symptoms
- Fatigued easily
- Resp infections frequent
- accessory muscles
- orthopneic (hard to breathe laying down- sit up)
- Thin/weight loss
- Wheezing
- pursed-lip breathing
- Chronic cough
- Barrel chest
- Dyspnea
- hard to expire air- prolonged
- bronchitis - increased sputum
- digital clubbing
what will the ABGs of someone with COPD be like?
Hypoxemia - low PAO2
Hypercapnia - high PACO2
HCO3 elevated when chronic
What will the CBC of someone with COPD look like?
-WBC increased if infection
- Increased HBG and HCT - polycythemia because body is trying to make more RBC to get more oxygen
What will electrolytes be like for someone with COPD?
electrolytes can change due to resp. acidosis
What tests are done to diagnose COPD?
- Pulmonary Fuction tests
- vital capacity (VE)
- residual volume (RD)
- forced expiratory volume (FEV) - severity is diagnosed by FEV1 - 1 sec of exhalation
- Chest xray - hyperinflation & flattened diaphragm
What are the 9 interventions for COPD?
- stop smoking
- Drugs
- breathing techniques
- O2 thearpy
- Nutritional therapy
- Hydration therapy
- Exercise therapy
- pulmonary rehab programs
- Surgery (reduction - LVRS)/(transplant)
What is the most effective intervention to help COPD?
Stop smoking
What are the 4 drugs used for COPD?
- SABA - salbutamol (ventolin) rescue - bronchodilator
- LABA - Sameterol (Serevent) - bronchodilator
- Anticolingergics - Atrovent (Ipatropium brominde ) - brochodilates & decrease mucous
- Steroid anti-inflammatory - Hydrocortisone or prednisone
What are 2 advantages of O2 for COPD?
- reduce work of breathing
- reduce workload on the heart b/c PaO2 is maintained
Are weight loss and malnutrition common with COPD? why ?
Yes
b/c full stomach makes it hard to breathe
hard to breathe while eating
When eating, how can someone with COPD decrease dyspnea?
- rest 30 min before eating
- brochodilator
- prepare food ahead of time - smaller meals
- High calorie, high protein foods
How much water should someone with COPD drink?
2L/day to help thin secretions
What 2 things is COPD exacterbated by?
Resp infections
Unhealthy air quality
What is a resp rate COPD people experience?
40-50 breaths/per min
Are people with COPD more prone to virus’ or bacterial infections and why?
Bacterial b/c of increases in mucous
What are 3 things people with COPD can do to prevent exacerbations besides stop smoking?
- avoid crowds
- get PN and Flu vaccines
- stay inside if air quality is poor
What are 3 medications that are stepped up when someone has COPD until they are stable?
- inhaled bronchodilators
- antibiotics (if infection)
- Oral systemic steroids
What are 4 interventions of a COPD exacerbation?
- meds
- oxygen
- rest
- ventilation and intubation (if needed)
What are 3 complications of COPD?
- cor pulmonale
- cardiac dysrhythmias
- Depression/anxiety/panic
What is Cor Pulmonale?
-When air trapping is bad so lung tissue pressure increases and blood vessels narrow making blood flow and perfusion difficult.
- rt side of heart works hard, becomes inefficient, back up to venous system
- distended neck veins & perepheral swelling
Why does COPD cause cardiac complication?
- decreased O2 to the heart muscle = dysrhythmias
