Case Study on Pathophysiology

Running head: CASE STUDY ON PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CASE STUDY ON PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1CASE STUDY ON PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Introduction:
This paper deals with the case study of the client MK. The patient MK is a forty five
year old female who weighs 225 lbs. The medical history of the client indicates that she had a
22 year old smoking history and had been previously diagnosed to suffer from Diabetes
mellitus type II with hypertension. She had been on a poor nutritional diet and at present is
diagnosed with chronic bronchitis. The patient’s symptoms comprises of severe chronic
coughing with sputum in the morning, distended neck veins, light headedness, increased
urination, and excessive peripheral edema. Presently, the patient’s medications contain
Glucophage for TIID and Lasix and Lotensin for hypertension. This paper would discuss the
pathophysiology of the current medical health condition of the client in the below mentioned
section.
The clinical findings that correlate with the client’s medical health condition of
chronic bronchitis is the data of the arterial blood gas assessment. The partial concentration
of carbon dioxide has been recorded to be 52mm Hg. The partial concentration of oxygen has
been recorded to be 48 mm Hg. Studies reveal that the normal PaCO2 concentration should be
in between 40mm Hg to 45mm Hg. Also, the normal PaO2 concentration should be in
between the range 75 mm Hg to 100 mm Hg. Thus, it can be commented that the PaCO2 level
is considerably elevated and the PaO2 level is significantly lower than the normal range.
Therefore, the treatment goals for M.K would include a combination of different
therapies. The administration of bronchodilator medications such as aerosol sprays or oral
administration would help in dilating the air passage within the lungs (Chauhan & Ducharme,
2014). This would ensure relief from the symptoms of chronic bronchitis. The administration
of antibiotics would help in fighting infections within the respiratory tract (Chauhan &
Ducharme, 2014). The administration of oxygen therapy would serve as a reservoir of

2CASE STUDY ON PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
supplementary oxygen that would help M.K to breathe and overcome the symptom of
shortness of breath due to pertinent coughing. As it has been mentioned, that the coughing
increases at night, the supplementary oxygen could be used by the patient at her home so that
she could conveniently inhale oxygen and breathe (Chauhan & Ducharme, 2014). In addition
to this, the patient would be enrolled for a pulmonary rehabilitation program where she would
be educated about the health condition and trained self-management strategies such as
breathing techniques and encourage to quit smoking and lead a healthy lifestyle in order to
recover from the disease condition. In addition to this, MK would also be educated about the
inclusion of a healthy diet and exercise regimen for an accelerated health recovery.
The patient is at a high risk of suffering from stroke or a Myocardial Infarction (MI),
which is also known as a condition of Cardiac arrest. This is because the vital signs of the
patient reveals that the Triglyceride level is 1000mg/dL which is considerably higher than the
normal level 500 mg/dL. Also, the level of LDL and Cholesterol is elevated against the
normal range. The normal range of LDL cholesterol should be lesser than 100mg/dL and that
of cholesterol should be lesser than 200mg/dL (Varbo et al., 2014). Also, the normal range of
HDL should be 59mg/dL, however, the cholesterol profile of the patient suggests that her
HDL level is significantly lower than the normal range (32mg/dL) (Varbo et al., 2014). Also,
her high blood pressure reading of 158/98 mm Hg and past medical history of TIIDM as well
as excessive smoking indicated that she is at a high risk of developing a stroke. Further, M.K
is 45 year old and researchers have stated that the age range between 45 years to 55 years has
been associated with a high risk of developing a stroke or a heart attack (Lim et al., 2013).
The pathophysiology of a heart attack or a myocardial infarction can be explained as a
condition where the artery responsible for supplying blood and oxygen to the heart is
blocked. The condition generally occurs due to the accumulation of fat deposits in the arteries
(Tham et al., 2015). Usually, the substances accumulated include cholesterol and other fatty