COPD: What Should Your Patient Know - Assignment Example

COPD: What Should Your Patients Know? COPD: What Should Your Patients Know? Risk Assessment of a Patient With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an ailment that gradually advances over time, and the main indicators of this malady encompass uneasiness especially when one is breathing, which is due to unsatisfactory air flow in the lungs (Zhang et al., 2013). People experiencing this predicament are vulnerable to various and numerous illnesses that can grievously further aggravate this condition.

Weakness of the bones represents one of the perils, which many experiencing COPD have to contend with, especially those aged above 85 years (Nici & ZuWallack, 2011), hence proving other risks, for instance, inability to walk or even support themselves as their respective conditions worsen. This is to the extent one cannot travel long distances due to the legs being weak. The patient suffering from this condition may experience depression (Negi, Sarkar, Raval, Pandey, & Pradeep, 2014). This may be due to augmenting functional inability emanating from the malady’s effect, which further lessens the value of life and leads to depression.

PHQ-9 is an instrument that analyzes depression by detecting it and calculating its severity in a range of 0 to 27 (Negi et al., 2014). This complication, according to Negi et al. (2014), is most rampant among the impoverished people, especially those having low BMI and experiencing breath shortness. Once a patient fails to manage his or her condition by not observing the necessary medication, his or her health generally retrogresses to risky levels. They embrace activities deemed extremely dangerous to other persons and committed when the sufferer is not thinking straight because of depression in certain cases (Negi et al., 2014).Difference Between a Rescue and Maintenance Inhaler One of the complications that commonly affect COPD patients is breathing difficulties, and inhalers are vital when dealing with breathing problems.

Inhalers are instruments used especially by asthma patients and those with chronic lung diseases to help in breathing (ISMP, 2010). The difference evident between the rescue and maintenance modes of inhalers lies in respective medications that characterize them (ISMP, 2010). In the case of rescue inhalers, they have drugs that act very fast when a patient experiences breathing difficulties. Their response is very prompt in opening up air tubes in the lungs, hence enabling the patient to continue breathing normally.

In contrast, maintenance inhalers contain long-acting drugs taken daily by patients who are susceptible to breathing difficulties, with the intention of suppressing causes of obstructed breathing (ISMP, 2010). These inhalers are useful over a long time but inappropriate in managing emergency breathing problems.Rationale for Interpretation COPD is a disease which is treatable and avoidable, as some of the prevalent causes of this predicament are related to inappropriate lifestyles. The risk factors of patients with COPD are manageable or even altogether escapable (Negi et al., 2014). Generally, breathing problems can cause immobility that emerges due to bone weakness.

As the disease progresses, a patient may experience depression if he or she lacks proper training on how to manage this malady coupled with living with it. COPD patients often suffer from breathing difficulties, where having the knowledge of inhalers allows them to manage and, sometimes, avert this condition.ReferencesISMP. (2010). Don’t confuse “Rescue” and “Maintenance” inhalers. ISMP Safe Medicine, 8(6).Negi, H., Sarkar, M., Raval, A.D., Pandey, K., & Pradeep, D. (2014). Presence of depression and its risk factors in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Indian Journal of Medical Research, 139(3), 402–408.Nici, L., & ZuWallack, R.L. (2011). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Co-morbidities and systematic consequences. New York: Springer Science & Business Media.Zhang, L., Lou, P., Zhu, Y., Chen, P., Zhang, P., Yu, J., … Zhao, J. (2013). Impact of risk factors, activities and psychological disorders on the health of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 13, 627.