Assignment Task:
You are called to the 5th floor by the unit secretary for a respiratory care consult. Your patient is a 68-year-old widow who lives alone. The patient was admitted to the hospital with increased dyspnea and cough and has been unable to care for himself. During the patient interview and history, you learn the patient has a 40-year history of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. They state that they are unable to catch their breath or inhale deep enough to produce a lot of sputum. He feels nauseated but does not have any abdominal pain and has not vomited. They were diagnosed with chronic bronchitis 5 years ago and an acute myocardial infarction 1 year ago. They had a pulmonary function test in which the results showed severe airway obstruction and air trapping. In addition, they have a history of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia twice within the last year. To experience some relief from their shortness of breath, they sleep with 4 stacked pillows. They have 3 children who do not live nearby. The 3 children have all expressed concern for their parent and would like for them to move into an assisted living. Need Online Tutoring?