Question

D. D. is a 66 year-old female suffering from shortness of breath. She smoked 2 packs a day until she quit 2 years ago. She has a history of bronchiolitis, hyperinflated lungs, pulmonary edema, and syncope. Her primary care practitioner suspects she also has pulmonary hypertension (PH). After examination, D. D. has a PAP of 35mmHg and mild CHF.

Citing scholarly resources, answer the following questions:

1. What is pulmonary hypertension and how could D. D. have developed PH?

In addition to the question above, select two other question from the list below to complete your discussion post. Be sure to cite the sources of your information and clearly identify which supplemental question you chose to answer.

1. How many patients are suffering from COPD in the United States? Do COPD sufferers die of respiratory causes or other causes? (Be sure to cite the data.)
2. What two separate diseases are the main COPD diseases? Give background on each disease.
3. How does COPD correlate with left ventricular pressure and primary heart failure?
4. What are the three types of bronchodilators, and how do they function to alleviate the symptoms of COPD? What are other possible treatments for COPD?

Answer 1

ANSWER -1) Pulmonary Hypertension -

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition of increased blood pressure with in the arteries of the lungs . Symptoms include shortness of breath ,syncope, tiredness, chest pain , swelling of the legs and tachycardia.

3)The two main COPD diseases are- Chronic bronchitis and Emphysema.

Chronic bronchitis -It is a type of COPD . The inflamed bronchial tubes produce a lot of mucus.This lead to coughing and dyspnoea. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause.

Emphysema- It is a lung condition that cause shortness of breath. The alveoli in the lungs are damaged. The inner walls of the air sacs weaken and rupture - creating larger air spaces instead of many small ones.

4) The two conditions can exist together and exacerbate one another. COPD can cause low oxygen level in the blood , thereby placing additional stress on the heart and worsening symptoms of left sided heart failure.

Hyperinflation in very severe patient with COPD can cause increased intrathoracic pressure and decreased venous pressure with reduction in the blood volume of both ventricles.

5) Three types of bronchodilators -

• Beta- agonists
• Anticholinergics
• Theophylline

Bronchodilators are central to the treatment of COPD because they alleviate bronchial obstruction and airflow limitations , reduce hyperinflation and improve emptying of the lung and exercise performance.

Treatment of COPD-

• inhaled steroids
• combination inhalers
• oral steroids
• Theophylline
• Antibiotics