Problem
Andy Portal is a 68-year-old retired construction worker with a 12-year history of COPD after a 35-pack-year history of smoking. He has not smoked in 9 years. He presents in the emergency department complaining of a sharp pain and redness at his posterior left calf, which is also hot and tender to the touch. The medical diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is made by contrast venography. The nursing diagnosis is ineffective tissue perfusion: peripheral related to decreased venous circulation in the right leg.
When Andy's wife asks, "What happens now?" the nurse explains to them both that the goal is to prevent further clot formation and preventing the clot traveling as in pulmonary emboli. This is accomplished by anticoagulants, anti-embolitic stockings, and warm compresses. The nurse discusses the possible pharmacological treatments and side effects. When Andy's wife asks, "Why did this happen?", the nurse explains to them that COPD is one of the risk factors for DVT (Vesa et al., 2009).
Task
1) What is the relationship between COPD and vascular effects?
2) Describe how COPD can cause pulmonary hypertension.
3) Describe a pulmonary function test (PFT). What finding is indicative of COPD?