tobacco history and a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD). Today, he presents to the emergency department with
reports of shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. He in
respiratory distress with retracting respirations of 26
breaths/min, BP is 154/76 mm Hg, pulse is 120 beats/min, and
temperature is 37°C. His skin color is pale gray, his chest is
barrel-shaped, and he uses accessory muscles to breathe; he appears
anxious and is sitting in a tripod position. His nail beds are
bluish in color; his oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry is 72%.
Chest auscultation reveals wheezes and decreased-to-absent breath
sounds in bilateral bases. Hyperresonance is noted upon chest wall
percussion. Chest x-ray showed atelectasis bilaterally in the
bases. Mr. Ritter coughs with minimal amounts of clear sputum.
(Learning Objectives 5 and 8)
1. What is the pathophysiology related to this
disease process in the aging adult patient?
2. Choose 3 nursing diagnoses and develop a care
plan for this patient based upon the assessment and diagnoses using
the concept map below.
- Joe Ritter A 74 Year Old Retired Bricklayer Has A 40 Pack Year Tobacco History And A History Of Chronic Obstructive Pu 1 (25.56 KiB) Viewed 75 times