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...
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,…
