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Clinical Assessment of COPD- Case Study

   

Added on  2019-11-26

14 Pages3898 Words154 Views
Running head: CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF COPDCLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF COPDName of the Student:Name of the University:Author Note:

1CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF COPDTable of ContentsOverview of the case study........................................................................................................2Initial consultation......................................................................................................................4Risk assessment..........................................................................................................................4Approach to exercise assessment...............................................................................................5Client goals.............................................................................................................................5Exercise interventions................................................................................................................6Part B......................................................................................................................................6References................................................................................................................................10

2CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF COPDOverview of the case study The seventy three year old retired Susan Bennett has been diagnosed with COPD.COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the disease of the lung that ischaracterized by the chronic obstruction of the airflow to the lung. The normal breathingmechanism is greatly influenced by it and the patient who is suffering from the COPD oftenexperiences shortness of breath which is increased gradually (Nordén et al., 2015). The clientis complaining her GP of her breathlessness even while carrying out her regular life activities.Her GP interrogated her and came to know that she is also suffering from poor appetite andcould not eat. She has a history of smoking which she quitted a year back. Thepathophysiology of COPD is initiated with the airways and the air sac damage followed bythe cough and the difficulty in the breathing (Agustí et al., 2012). An additional interrogation is carried out by the attending GP of Susan Bennett. Shecomplained of wheezing, frequent coughing which is sometimes accompanied by sputum andtightness in the chest. She also complained that her coughing is getting severe and it ismaking her difficult to eat. Her attending GP also observed that Susan has begun to loseweight significantly and Susan also complained of her loss of appetite (Lainscak et al., 2016).Her attending GP also examined that Susan is suffering from high blood pressure and thatmay lead to the condition known as pulmonary hypertension. COPD patients are often prescribed with exercises. Aerobic exercise is of much helpto the patients suffering from COPD as it helps to improve the tolerance of exercise(Mohammed et al., 2017). They help to overcome the problem of breathlessness. Stretchingof the arms and legs in order to lengthen the arms slowly is an effective measure to improvethe motion and flexibility. Strengthening of the muscles by contracting the musclesrepeatedly is helpful as it strengthens the respiratory muscle.

3CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF COPDFatigue in leg is the outcome of the six minute walk in a patient suffering fromCOPD. Oxygen desaturation is also observed in COPD patients. Susan Bennett if suggested to have a walk every day, it is likely that she will continueto suffer from breathlessness and fatigue in leg. This would be tiresome for her and even afterresting for some time after taking the walk; dyspnea or difficulty in breathing or laboredbreathing can be observed (Esser et al., 2015). The practice of exercise by a patient suffering from COPD has many goals. The firstgoal is the improvement of the circulatory system of the body and enables the body to use theoxygen (Troosters et al., 2016). The heart and the cardiovascular muscle are strengthened byregular exercising and the endurance power of the body is increased. The aim of practicingthe exercise is to lower the blood pressure which tends to rise significantly in patientssuffering from COPD. The benefit of exercising regularly by the COPD patient is that it helpsto perform regular life activities without getting tired or suffering from breathlessness(Brusasco, 2012). The COPD patients thus if perform regular exercise can benefit them by improvingthe physical condition of the patient and making him fit enough so that he can carry out allthe regular life activities. Physical exercise is one of the most important interventions suggested to the patientssuffering from COPD. Physical exercise is suggested after carrying out a thorough check upof the patient’s physiological condition and his capability of performing exercise. Patientssuffering from COPD are more often suggested to carry out aerobic exercise. Aerobicexercise helps to improve the circulations, thus enabling the body to efficiently use oxygen.The resting heart rate condition is improved and decreases the blood pressure thus helping theindividual to breathe properly (Divo et al., 2012).

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