Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a condition which is characterized by reduces air flow. This results due to dysfunctioning of the small airways and breakdown of the lung tissues. It is a chronic disease and there are various reasons that cause the occurrence of this disease.

This assignment explains the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in detail, with the population that remains at high risk of acquiring the disease. The paper further explains the impact of this disease in the health care system and how an effective systematic case management plan can be generated and implemented in practice. The assignment has taken nursing profession as its prime focus and discuses their coordination in the implementation of this plan along with other health care professionals.

Discussion

Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease refers to a condition in which there is prolong reduction of air flow in the lungs (Mayo clinic, 2013). This condition is the resultant of partial or complete obstruction of the airways. The problem is commonly encountered by the elderly (Nazir, Erbland, 2009), and there can be a number of factors that causes its occurrence.

As defined by the World Health Organization, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not a single disease but an umbrella term that includes various factors causing air way obstruction (2013). The two important condition, that are incorporated in COPD are

Chronic Bronchitis

Condition in which there is an increased production of mucus after the air has been taken inside by the bronchial tubes, causing inflammation of these tubes. The mucus thus produced blocks the airways making breathing difficult.

Emphysema

The air sacs are stretchable structure which is responsible for gaseous exchange inside the lungs. The blood capillaries are located in the walls of these structures. In emphysema, the elasticity of these air sacs is lost.

COPD: clogging of bronchioles with mucus and destruction of alveolar walls

The human lungs comprises of the organ system responsible for breathing and gaseous exchange. The air sacs are the tiny divisions of the bronchioles inside the lungs, responsible for gaseous exchange, through the blood capillaries that are located in their walls. The walls of these air sacs are highly stretchable. Oxygen is absorbed into the blood through these capillaries while the carbon dioxide in given out in the cavities for expiration. In COPD the bronchioles either gets blocked by clogging with the mucus, along with emphysema resulting in destruction o elasticity of the alveolar walls.

Signs and symptoms

Cod is characterized by the presence of following signs and symptoms

Wheezing

Shortness of breath while performing various activities

Unable to take deep breaths

Smokers cough, referring to a constant coughing process

Excessive production of sputum

Population at Risk

COPD is not present in every individual, but there is a certain population that is at high risk of acquiring this chronic disease. Smoking is the major cause of the disease. As defined by NIH Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, it is the third leading reason of causing death in United States of America. As the disease progresses slowly over a prolong time period, ...