Emphysema Case Study

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CH, a sixty-three-year-old man who quit smoking after twenty years has emphysema. With emphysema the alveoli are extremely fragile. These air sacs are located inside the lungs and function to keep the bronchioles open allowing the passage of air into the bloodstream, however in emphysema the alveoli are damaged causing the bronchioles to collapse. The bronchioles allow oxygen to pass into the bloodstream, therefore when they collapse the patient is not getting enough oxygen (Mosenifar, 2016). Furthermore emphysema is caused by a destruction of elastin and collagen in the pulmonary connective tissues that increase lung compliancy and cause permanent enlargement of air sacs at the distal end of bronchioles and rupture of alveoli. This increases airway resistance which is the opposition of the tissues of the air passages to the air flow (Boka, 2014). …show more content…
A patient with emphysema finds it is difficult to push all of the air out of the lungs, thus they do not empty efficiently and therefore contain more air than normal. This is called hyperinflation or air trapping (Mosenifar, 2016). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) encompasses a chronic disease known as emphysema. Furthermore CH reports smoking for twenty six years which is the leading cause of COPD (McCance & Huether, 2014). Chemicals, pollutants in the environment and cigarette smoke affects the patient through inhaling irritant particles increasing mucus and causing the walls of the bronchi to thicken and swell. Genetics, heavy exposure to dusts at work and air pollution (Boka,

Emphysema Research Paper

old men suffering from breathlessness associated with catarrh and cough. Some of the earliest references to the description of emphysema include: Bonnet’s description of “voluminous lungs” in 1679: Morgagni’s (1769) description of 19 cases in which the lungs were “turgid”, particularly from air. Bierner (1855) - credited for having recognized the importance of the study of sputum in broncho pulmonary disease. Daus and Luestscher (1915)- studied the application of bacteriological sputum examination…

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clinical paper

The Prevalence of Emphysema in the Older Adult Over the lifespan the human body goes through a multitude of changes, some changes can be manipulated and some cannot. Every choice we are given changes the definition of health for the individual. Some choices such as; smoking cigarettes, employment opportunities and exposure to toxic chemicals for an extended period of time all effect the overall health for the individual. With these choices and a multitude of…

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Essay on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd; Emphysema) Patho

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD; Emphysema) Pathophysiology Abakyereba Kwansemah June 4, 2014 Abstract D.Z.is a 65-year-old man admitted to medical ward with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; emphysema). Past medical history (PMH) indicates hypertension (HTN), well managed with enalapril (Vasotec) past six years, diagnosis (Dx) of pneumonia yearly for the past three years. D.Z. appears cachectic with difficulty breathing…

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Research 1 Essay

protease responsible for genetic emphysema and liver disease (De Serres). The body sends ATT to fight and protect the lungs from infection and inflammation caused by the enzyme elastase. In case of AAT deficiency, AAT protein will not be able to do its work. Lung disease resulting from the deficiency can produce shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, large production of sputum and frequent infections in the respiratory tract (Fromer). On the other hand, genetic emphysema is characterized primarily by…

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Marijuana vs. Cigarettes Essay

lower. There have been no reports of lung cancer solely related to marijuana smoke. A large study presented to the American Thoracic Society in 2006 showed that, even in cases of chronic marijuana smokers, there was no increased risk of lung cancer. Unlike heavy tobacco smokers, heavy marijuana smokers do not exhibit obstruction of the lung’s small airway. This indicates that people do not develop emphysema from smoking marijuana. The last common myth associated with smoking marijuana being more…

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Health And Social Care M3

to get involved in everything, it may only be five or ten minutes away. But due to this issue it could make you feel less sociable, like they may not want to walk or take any transport to the centre. Respiratory system (Emphysema) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Emphysema is a disease which is caused to related activities involving the lungs which can cause the lungs to shut down, or struggle to complete active activities, such as exercise. It is thought there are over 3 million people…

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Doctor-Assisted Suicide Case Summary

patient had a history of manic depression and emphysema. She was on steroids, but she developed severe respiratory problems. The doctors later realized a clot in her lungs, and they put her on a respiratory machine and blood thinners. However, even after the patient was put on the ventilator, it was found that she was too confused. She could interact with people, but she could not make decisions. The doctors realized that she had a mental problem (Case Study: The Alert and Incompetent Self The irrelevant…

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Genetic Engineering Essay

has been modified to change the organism for the better or worse. This topic includes transgenic microorganisms, which are mutated bacteria; transgenic plants, which are an important part of our food supply, and transgenic animals, which are used to study genes and used to improve food supply and quality. Transgenic microorganisms are, as the name suggests, microorganisms like bacteria whose genetic make-up has been mutated for medical and biological purposes. The theory of transgenic microorganisms…

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Obstructive Lung Disease

narrowing or blockage of the airways causing increased resistance to airflow. This obstruction is usually progressive, not fully reversible and does not change markedly over several months. The most common group of COPD include chronic bronchitis, emphysema and small airway disease. COPD is predominantly caused by smoking. Airflow obstruction is defined as a reduced FEV (volume of air that can be expelled from maximum inspiration in 1st second) and a reduced FEV1/FVC ratio (Tifferean-Pinelli index)…

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Percutaneous Tracheostomy

trained members of the health care team may perform the tracheotomy using a Seldinger technique, and this person may be more familiar with the percutaneous technique than the respective surgeon such as as intensive care and anesthesia doctors. In our study, all percutaneous tracheostomies were performed by a skilled intensivist and were carried out at bedside in the intensive care…

Words 952 - Pages 4