COPD: Causes, Pathophysiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Interventions

This document provides information about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including its causes, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and interventions. It discusses the impact of smoking and environmental hazards on COPD, the functional changes in the respiratory system, and the symptoms associated with the disease. It emphasizes the importance of smoking cessation and lifestyle interventions, as well as the use of medications and non-pharmacological interventions for managing COPD.

Copd

Table of Contents
Question 1........................................................................................................................................3
Question 2........................................................................................................................................3
Question 3........................................................................................................................................4
Question 4........................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

Question 1
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered to be as the type of
obstructive lung disease which is characterized by poor airflow and long term breathing issues
(Puhan, Gimeno‐Santos, Cates, & Troosters, (2016)). One of the most severe cause of the COPD
is smoking. Paul has been smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years.
Smoking contributes to COPD because it tends to damage the airways, air sacs and various lining
of the lungs. Another major risk factor which is mainly associated with the development of the
COPD mainly includes long term exposure to the various sets of irritants which damages your
lungs. This eventually contributes to the COPD (Walters, Tan, White, & Wood‐Baker, (2018)).
There are various set of environmental hazards such as chemicals, other environmental hazards,
etc. which largely influences the respiratory system of an individual. The environmental
pollutants cause COPD polluted air tends to contain various tiny particles which are called as
irritants. This damages the lungs which in turn affect the inhaling the small amount of irritants
over a specific period of time.
Question 2
Pathophysiology of the COPD helps in evaluating the various functional changes which
has been associated with the disease. People who tends to have COPD, results in tiny air sacs and
damage to air ways in respiratory system. Paul has been observed with various functional
changes within the body which includes cyanosis of finger tips, productive cough and dyspnoea
of exertion (Puhan, Gimeno‐Santos, Cates, & Troosters, (2016)). The damages which has been
done by the COPD cannot be undone. The person suffering from the COPD makes airways
become thicken and inflamed. The tissues which results in exchange of oxygen is also destroyed.
The inflow and outflow of the air within the lungs tend to decrease. This results in low amount of
oxygen within the body and this also becomes hard to effectively get rid of the carbon dioxide
within the human body. The pathophysiology associated with the chronic bronchitis is that, it
includes inflammatory mono- nuclear cell infiltrate within the airway wall. The molecular events
in turn tends to produce the inflammation which causes mucus hyper secretion. COPD tends to
affect various set of functional and structural domains of the lungs (Chong, Leung, & Poole,
(2017)). There seems to be significant extrapulmonary effects and also results in nutritional
abnormalities, weight loss, skeletal muscle dysfunction, etc.

Question 3
Clinical manifestation are referred to as the signs and symptoms which has been observed
by the physicians among patients. One of the most common symptom in Paul associated with the
COPD mainly includes cyanosis of finger tips, productive cough and dyspnoea of exertion.
These symptoms tend to arise from the diverse aetiologies (Barnes, (2016)). Pharmacotherapy
helps in improving the clinical manifestation of the and also improves the reduces the rate of the
patient. The efficiency of the tiotropium is referred to as the long acting anti muscarinic which
helps in reducing dyspnea, quality of life scores, exacerbations (COPD: Clinical Manifestations
and Management (include pulmonary rehabilitation), 2020). This has been investigated in the
specific clinical trial. Modest improvements must be made within the airflows which helps in
gaining better care results and outcomes. The clinical manifestation and symptoms associated
with the COPD mainly includes wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness of chest, squeaky
sound, chronic cough, etc. The symptoms of COPD eventually results in various symptoms
which includes sputum and mucus production, cough, dyspnea, etc.
Question 4
One of the key intervention associated with the Paul is that, he must focus on quitting
smoking and one of the best intervention for smoking cessation is nicotine replacement therapy.
Smoking cessation is considered to be one of the most crucial intervention which is useful in
effectively stopping the progression of COPD (Herath, Normansell, Maisey, & Poole, (2018)).
This intervention is useful in increasing the survival rate and reducing morbidity. Lifestyle
intervention is considered to be one of the most crucial intervention associated with the COPD
which helps in making necessary lifestyle changes like quit smoking, monitoring of the air
quality, staying active, protecting lungs, getting emotional support, taking nutritional diet, etc.
Use of non- pharmacological intervention which mainly includes non- invasive ventilation,
bronchodilators and pulmonary rehabilitation is very useful in considerably improving and
managing the COPD (Puhan, Gimeno‐Santos, Cates, & Troosters, (2016)). There are various
medications for COPD which includes antibiotics, Theophylline, inhaled bronchodilators,
Corticosteroid, etc. which is very useful in effectively managing a patient who has been suffering
from COPD.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barnes, P. J. (2016). Inflammatory mechanisms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 138(1). 16-27.
Chong, J., Leung, B., & Poole, P. (2017). Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors for chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9).
Herath, S. C., Normansell, R., Maisey, S., & Poole, P. (2018). Prophylactic antibiotic therapy for
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cochrane Database of Systematic
Reviews, (10).
Puhan, M. A., Gimeno‐Santos, E., Cates, C. J., & Troosters, T. (2016). Pulmonary rehabilitation
following exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane database of
systematic reviews, (12).
Walters, J. A., Tan, D. J., White, C. J., & Wood‐Baker, R. (2018). Different durations of
corticosteroid therapy for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3).
Online
COPD: Clinical Manifestations and Management (include pulmonary rehabilitation). 2020.
[ONLINE]. Available through:<https://www.pulmonologyadvisor.com/home/decision-
support-in-medicine/pulmonary-medicine/copd-clinical-manifestations-and-management-
include-pulmonary-rehabilitation/>