I am going to presume that if you are reading this article on Jane’s website, you have COPD [or other lung disease]. I am also going to take a big leap and presume that you have all done a breathing test called spirometry? I ask this because statistics show that a surprising number of people have been diagnosed with COPD, but have never had spirometry done. That is like diagnosing a patient with diabetes without ever testing their blood sugar level. Spirometry is done using a piece of equipment called a spirometer. The term spiro comes from the Latin language and means to breathe, and meter (derived from either Old English, French or Greek…take your pick) means to measure. The spirometer is not a new invention. In 1846 an Englishman named John …show more content…
These patients cannot easily exhale all of their air, leaving some air in the lungs at the end of exhalation. We refer to this as air trapping. Patients with the Little Lung Syndrome can’t get air in because something is restricting the flow of gas into their lungs. Imagine someone putting a wide, very tight belt around your rib cage…what would happen when you tried to take in a deep breath? You couldn’t! With restrictive disease; pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung disease, asbestosis, etc…your lungs are very stiff, and they do not inflate easily, so it is hard to take in a deep breath. If after doing a spirometry test, the therapist determines that your lungs are not functioning normally, we give the results to your doctor and he/she will order more specific tests in a pulmonary function lab to see what exactly the problem is. You have no doubt heard or read the National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) slogan; “Test your lungs, know your numbers”. Spirometry gives you the numbers. If you have high cholesterol, you know your numbers…I know, because I do. I also know that I do not have diabetes because I know my
An incentive spirometer is a device that our patients use to improve the function of their lungs. This main underlying principle is that breathing can be exercised to train the expansion of lungs capacity (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2013). Patients who qualify for this intervention include those who have recently had a surgery, were under anesthesia, or have been placed on bed rest. Our main concern here is that these situations create opportunity for less activity within the lungs, which can put the patient at risk for pneumonia.
I would tell the doctor to stop if he didn’t start and grab a manual ventilator and try to find a replacement mechanical ventilator.
History of Present Illness: Mr. Olson is a very pleasant 57-year-old gentleman with multiple medical problems to include severe COPD, who is here today for an initial consultation for his shortness of breath. He is followed by a pulmonologist Dr. William Goodman, at the Veteran Affairs Administration. His last evaluation there was in February 2015. Mr. Olson states he has had ongoing dyspnea on exertion over the last two years. He complains of minimal cough. He does note some sinus problems for which he is on Flovent. In the past, he has had pulmonary function testing that did demonstrate reversible airflow obstruction, therefore he likely has some component of asthma overlay. He states that occasionally has chest tightness and chest heaviness. He has gained about 25 pounds over the last year. He is currently using Spiriva, albuterol as needed as well as Symbicort. He is also using supplemental oxygen at 2.5L per minute at night as well as on an as needed basis during the day. Mr. Olson admits to continued tobacco use with about a half pack to a pack a day. He states that when he is feeling depressed, he will smoke more.
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The respiratory system is a complex organ structure of the human body anatomy, and the primary purpose of this system is to supply the blood with oxygen in order for the blood vessels to carry the precious gaseous element to all parts of the body to accomplish cell respiration. The respiratory system completes this important function of breathing throughout inspiration. In the breathing process inhaling oxygen is essential for cells to metabolize nutrients and carry out some other tasks, but it must occur simultaneously with exhaling when the carbon dioxide is excreted, this exchange of gases is the respiratory system's means of getting oxygen to the blood (McGowan, Jefferies & Turley, 2004).
D.Z., a 65-year-old man, is admitted to a medical floor for exacerbation of his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; emphysema). He has a past medical history of hypertension, which has been well controlled by Enalapril (Vasotec) for the past 6 years. He has had pneumonia yearly for the past 3 years, and has been a 2-pack-a-day smoker for 38 years. He appears as a cachectic man who is experiencing difficulty breathing at rest. He reports cough productive of thick yellow-green sputum. D.Z. seems irritable and anxious; he complains of sleeping poorly and states that lately feels tired most of the time. His vital signs (VS) are 162/84, 124, 36, 102 F, SaO2 88%. His admitting diagnosis is an acute
An incentive spirometer is a tool that measures how well you are filling your lungs with each breath. This tool can help keep your lungs clear and active. Taking long, deep breaths may help reverse or decrease the chance of developing breathing (pulmonary) problems, especially infection, following:
There are no cure for this disease. However, there are different treatment to prevent further deterioration of the lungs function in order to improve the quality of life of the patient by increasing capacity of their physical activity. One of the main severe complication a patient with COPD can develop is exacerbation. Increased breathlessness, increased sputum volume and purulent sputum are the signs and symptoms of exacerbation. Early detection of the signs of exacerbation can help keep the condition of the patient from worsening. The treatments of COPD mainly aims at controlling the symptoms of exacerbation such as taking inhalers. Patients who are over the age of 35 and ex-smokers with chronic cough and bronchitis are recommended to have spirometer (NICE, 2004). This is because it is possible to delay or prevent patients from developing severe case of COPD is identified before they lose their lungs functions. Oxygen therapy is another treatment for COPD as the patients with this condition has high
Ineffective breathing pattern related to decreased oxygen saturation, poor tissue perfusion, obesity, decreased air entry to bases of both lungs, gout and arthritic pain, decreased cardiac output, disease process of COPD, and stress as evidenced by shortness of breath, BMI > 30 abnormal breathing patterns (rapid, shallow breathing), abnormal skin colour (slightly purplish), excessive diaphoresis, nasal flaring and use of accessory muscles, statement of joint pain, oxygen saturations of 85-95% 2L NP, immobility 95% of the day, and adventitious sounds throughout lungs (crackles) secondary to CHF, hypertension, pain caused by gout and arthritis, and obesity
It is also often referred to as the "windpipe." The trachea then branches off like a tree. The first splits of this "tree" are the bronchi, and the smallest branches are called the bronchioles. Thus after air travels through the trachea, it then reaches the bronchi, and spreads throughout the bronchioles.
Swelling and increased fluid in the lungs may also be a sign to look for. A steady tracking of the symptoms and health history of the person should be taken into consideration as well.
I then needed to carry out a respiratory assessment. I observed Mr Brown’s chest for any visible signs of scars or trauma. This appeared normal.
The respiratory system is the process responsible for the transportation and exchange of gases into and out of the human body. As we breath in, oxygen in the air containing oxygen is drawn into the lungs through a series of air pipes known as the airway and into the lungs. As air is drawn into the lungs and waste gas excreted, it passes through the airway, first through the mouth or nose and through the pharynx, larynx and windpipe – also known as the trachea. At this point it then enters the lungs through the bronchi before finally reaching the air sacs known as alveoli. Within the lungs, through a process known as diffusion, the oxygen is transferred to the blood stream through the alveoli (air ducts) where it is then transported inside
In addition, inhaled steroids may give relief to some with chronic allergies and sinusitis. These drugs work to reduce inflammation in the airways. Allergy shots are
Abstract—This paper presents a new approach towards the development of a spirometer-on-chip device for point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics. The proposed device consists of a cantilever based airflow sensor fabricated through a Multi-User MEMS process (MUMPS). The deflection of each cantilever beam is measured using capacitive electrodes integrated on a single semiconductor chip. These electrodes are connected to an off-chip custom-made readout interface circuit for the measurement of minute capacitive changes and for the acquisition of data into a computer. Herein, we discuss and demonstrate the characterization results of such a system using a low complexity air-based technique. Additionally, we demonstrate the applicability of these devices