What should the nurse identify as a complication of COPD?

There are two major life-threatening complications of COPD: respiratory insufficiency and failure. Respiratory failure.
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What are the complications of COPD?

COPD can cause many complications, including:
  • Respiratory infections. People with COPD are more likely to catch colds, the flu and pneumonia. ...
  • Heart problems. ...
  • Lung cancer. ...
  • High blood pressure in lung arteries. ...
  • Depression.
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What is the most common complication of COPD?

The five most common types of COPD complication include:
  1. Pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation of the lungs. ...
  2. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) ...
  3. Depression. ...
  4. Heart failure. ...
  5. Frailty.
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What are primary concerns for a patient with COPD?

Primary care providers are the main point of contact for COPD patients, providing about 80% of their care. Most of the patients they treat present with symptomatic disease—the most common symptoms being shortness of breath, productive cough, fatigue, and limited exercise tolerance.
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What are the nursing assessment findings that could indicate a patient has COPD?

Findings indicating COPD include: An expanded chest (barrel chest). Wheezing during normal breathing. Taking longer to exhale fully.
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What do you assess for a patient with COPD?

Tests may include:
  • Lung (pulmonary) function tests. These tests measure the amount of air you can inhale and exhale, and whether your lungs deliver enough oxygen to your blood. ...
  • Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray can show emphysema, one of the main causes of COPD . ...
  • CT scan. ...
  • Arterial blood gas analysis. ...
  • Laboratory tests.
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What are the 5 symptoms of COPD?

What Are COPD Symptoms?
  • Chronic cough.
  • Shortness of breath while doing everyday activities (dyspnea)
  • Frequent respiratory infections.
  • Blueness of the lips or fingernail beds (cyanosis)
  • Fatigue.
  • Producing a lot of mucus (also called phlegm or sputum)
  • Wheezing.
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What are 10 important points about the care of patients with COPD?

10 Tips for Managing COPD
  • Give up smoking. Giving up nicotine is one of the most important things you can do for your health. ...
  • Eat right and exercise. ...
  • Get rest. ...
  • Take your medications correctly. ...
  • Use oxygen appropriately. ...
  • Retrain your breathing. ...
  • Avoid infections. ...
  • Learn techniques to bring up mucus.
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What are the early warning signs of COPD?

What are the early signs of COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a severe and progressive lung condition. Early signs of the condition include a chronic cough, increased mucus, and tiredness. However, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can significantly improve a person's outlook.
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What are the 4 main symptoms of COPD?

Symptoms of COPD include:
  • Frequent coughing or wheezing.
  • Excess phlegm or sputum.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Trouble taking a deep breath.
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What are nursing interventions for COPD?

Nursing Interventions
  • Inspiratory muscle training. This may help improve the breathing pattern.
  • Diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing reduces respiratory rate, increases alveolar ventilation, and sometimes helps expel as much air as possible during expiration.
  • Pursed lip breathing.
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Which of the following signs and symptoms raises the suspicion on respiratory failure in COPD?

Signs of muscle fatigue, such as paradoxical breathing (an inward motion of the upper abdominal wall with inspiration) and respiratory alternans (a cyclic alternation between abdominal and rib cage breathing), may be present and should raise suspicion of impending respiratory failure.
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What are the cardiac complications of long term COPD?

The cardiovascular sequelae of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been recognized for decades (1). The spectrum of cardiovascular disease includes right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension (PH), coronary artery disease (CAD), and arrhythmias (2).
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What are the complications of emphysema?

Following are some most frequently encountered complications of emphysema:
  • Respiratory insufficiency or failure.
  • Pneumonia.
  • Pneumothorax.
  • Chronic atelectasis.
  • Cor pulmonale.
  • Interstitial emphysema.
  • Recurrent respiratory tract infections.
  • Respiratory acidosis, hypoxia, and coma.
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What are the signs of COPD getting worse?

The following are signs that may indicate that a person's COPD is getting worse.
  • Increased Shortness of Breath. ...
  • Wheezing. ...
  • Changes in Phlegm. ...
  • Worsening Cough. ...
  • Fatigue and Muscle Weakness. ...
  • Edema. ...
  • Feeling Groggy When You Wake Up.
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What concerns you most with patients who have COPD and why?

COPD makes it hard to breathe, which can make it hard to get enough exercise. Being inactive can lead to bone and muscle loss and increase your risk for other health problems. Certain COPD medicines can increase your risk for other conditions such as bone loss, heart conditions, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
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What are five signs and symptoms of respiratory distress the nurse may observe in a client with COPD?

What are the signs and symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
  • Cough with mucus that persists for long periods of time.
  • Difficulty taking a deep breath.
  • Shortness of breath with mild exercise (like walking or using the stairs).
  • Shortness of breath performing regular daily activities.
  • Wheezing.
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What patient teaching priorities would be important in the patient experiencing an acute exacerbation of COPD?

Key Points. Most patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require oxygen supplementation during an exacerbation. Inhaled short-acting beta-agonists are the cornerstone of drug therapy for acute exacerbations. Use antibiotics if patients have acute exacerbations and purulent sputum.
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What is a COPD exacerbation?

Exacerbation of COPD. An exacerbation (ex-zass-cer-bay-shun) of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a worsening or “flare up” of your COPD symptoms. In many cases an exacerbation is caused by an infection in the lungs, but in some cases, the cause is never known.
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What does COPD look like?

Symptoms of COPD

Wheezing. Chest tightness. Constant coughing. Producing a lot of mucus (sputum)
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How do you manage a patient with COPD?

For most people with COPD, short-acting bronchodilator inhalers are the first treatment used. Bronchodilators are medicines that make breathing easier by relaxing and widening your airways. There are 2 types of short-acting bronchodilator inhaler: beta-2 agonist inhalers – such as salbutamol and terbutaline.
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How do you assess a patient with COPD exacerbation?

A simple and pragmatic way to diagnose an exacerbation would be to look for an increase in these symptoms - for example, the patient may notice that they are more short of breath than usual or they are producing more sputum or that sputum is more purulent.
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What assessment findings would the nurse identify in a patient experiencing acute respiratory failure?

Clinical indicators of acute respiratory failure include: partial pressure of arterial oxygen (Pao2) below 60 mm Hg, or arterial oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry (Spo2) below 91% on room air. Paco2 above 50 mm Hg and pH below 7.35.
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What are the criteria for the diagnosis of acute respiratory failure in COPD?

One needs to document two of the three criteria to formally diagnose acute respiratory failure: pO2 less than 60 mm Hg (or room air oxygen saturation less than or equal to 90%), pCO2 greater than 50 mm Hg with pH less than 7.35, and signs/symptoms of respiratory distress.
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