Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Cyanotic & Barrel-Chested: Cyanosis is a discoloration of the lips, nail bed, eyes, and/or palms (Potter, Perry, 1997). During the nursing assessment, the nurse inspects the patient according to the assessment chart, which includes the category of 'color'. Cyanosis is the appearance of a bluish discoloration (Potter, Perry, 1997) effecting the aforementioned parts of the body. The condition of barrel chested appearance is often a sign of emphysema in its later stages (Rosenow, 2010). The significance of these conditions indicates a circulation problem, certainly affecting the extremities including the phalanges.

Sputum Production, Cough, & Dyspnea: Sputum production as well as the coughing indicates mucus production and the practice of clearing the throat of excessive sputum production (Potter, Perry, 1997) Dyspnea is a clinician's term for hypoxia (Potter, Perry, 1997). Dyspnea is a sign that correlates to the diagnosis of an upper/lower respiratory disorder.

Bronchitis: The symptoms displayed indicate chronic bronchitis and is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (ADAM, 2010). The blue lips from the cyanosis along with the sputum and cough are collectively symptomatic of COPD.

Respiratory Rate: The typical respiratory rate for an adult suffering from COPD is 12-20 bpm (Respiratory Assessment, pg. 10, 2011) very rather high respiratory rate of 25 bpm indicates a value outside of the aforementioned range. The tidal volume of 400ml is rather low or is 80% of the normal 500ml value (Potter, Perry, 1997). This indicates decreased diaphragm and lung activity. [1: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19239715/Respiratory-Assessment]

Vital Capacity: The patient's capacity of 80% indicates an average flow value of air measured in volume to be 3840ml after a maximal inhalation (Potter, Perry, 1997). This is a sign of a decrease in respiratory muscle strength (Potter, Perry, 1997), as a function of aging (Potter, Perry, 1997).

FEV1: A value of 60% normal indicates a mild obstruction (Bass, 2009) in the maximal volume of air forcefully exhaled in one second (Bass, 2009). This also points to a decrease in respiratory muscle strength (Potter, Perry, 1997), and perhaps is due to aging (Potter, Perry, 1997).