Key Concepts & Pathophysiology
This chronic, progressive respiratory disease blocks airflow and makes breathing harder over time.
What is COPD?
This term describes shortness of breath with activity, a common early sign of COPD.
What is exertional dyspnea?
This breathing technique has the client inhale through the nose and exhale through pursed lips to slow exhalation.
What is pursed-lip breathing?
In COPD clients, this low blood value serves as the primary drive to breathe.
What is the arterial oxygen level?
To preserve energy when dyspnea makes eating tiring, clients should choose foods that are high in calories and this texture.
What are soft foods?
This form of COPD involves overinflation and permanent enlargement of the alveoli, plus destruction of the alveolar walls.
What is emphysema?
This bluish discoloration of the nail beds and mucous membranes signals low oxygen levels.
What is cyanosis?
This is the best position for a COPD client — sitting upright and leaning slightly forward to engage neck and shoulder muscles.
What is the tripod (upright, leaning-forward) position?
This is the usual oxygen flow rate by nasal cannula for a COPD client without chronically high carbon dioxide.
What is 2 to 4 L/min?
Clients should drink fluids at these times — between and at the end of meals, but not during them.
What is between meals (and at the end of meals)?
This term names the functional lung tissue where gas exchange happens — and it gets damaged by COPD.
What is the lung parenchyma?
This late-stage change to the fingers and toes appears with advanced disease.
What is clubbing?
Pursed-lip breathing lengthens this phase of respiration to reduce trapped air and prevent alveolar collapse.
What is the expiratory phase (exhalation)?
For a client with chronically increased PaCO₂, the nurse usually gives this lower flow rate of oxygen.
What is 1 to 2 L/min?
This is the recommended walking goal — 20 minutes, this many times per week.
What is 2 to 3 times per week?
This rounded, bulging chest shape comes from chronic air trapping and an increased anterior-posterior diameter.
What is a barrel chest?
A COPD client on oxygen who can only speak in short phrases due to shortness of breath is considered this — and the RN must be notified
What is unstable?
The nurse encourages use of this device to promote deep breathing and lung expansion.
What is the incentive spirometer?
Take these medications before meals, since they open the airways and ease breathing.
What are bronchodilators?
Clients with COPD should receive these two vaccinations to help prevent respiratory infections.
What are the influenza and pneumonia vaccines?
When alveolar walls are destroyed, this measurement drops — making it harder to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.
What is the surface area available for gas exchange?
Along with cyanosis, these two mental status changes signal rapidly dropping oxygen saturation.
What are confusion and a change in mental status?
This is the target oxygen saturation range for a COPD client, since low oxygen drives their breathing.
What is 88% to 92%?
This class of medication, including propranolol, is contraindicated because it causes bronchoconstriction.
What are beta-blockers?
This is the single most important lifestyle change for a COPD client, since cigarette smoke is the main cause.
What is smoking cessation (stopping smoking)?