Question

COPD client must receive low amount of oxygen concentration?

Answer 1

COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the group of disaese that causr the obstruction in the air passage of lungs.

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis is the most common disease that cause COPD. Damge to the lungs from COPD is irreversible.

Risk of COPD is increase with the Asthma and smoking.

Sign and symptoms include is difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and chronic cough.

Diagnosis of the COPD is usually done by chest xray, Ct scan of the chest, arterial blood gas analysis and routine blood investigation.

Treatment of COPD involve supplement oxygen, bronchodilator.

Oxygens saturation of the COPD patients should be maintain between the 88-92% when giving supplement oxygen therapy.

COPD patients must receive low amount of oxygen concentration because

* If we give more amount of oxygen to patient it cause hypoventilation that may result in hypercarbia that is increase CO2 level in the blood.

* There are two central drivers of respiratory drive, hypercarbia and hypoxemia. Because COPD patients spend their lives chronically hypercarbic they no longer respond to that stimulus, and their only trigger for respiratory drive is the level of oxygen (or lack their of) in their blood. Supplemental high concentration of O2 removes a COPD patient’s hypoxic respiratory drive causing hypoventilation with resultant hypercarbia, apnea, and ultimate respiratory failure.

* The aim of low concentrations oxygen therapy is to raise the PaO2 without worsening the acidosis. Therefore, give oxygen at no more than 28% (via venturi mask, 4 L/minute) or no more than 2 L/minute (via nasal prongs) and aim for oxygen saturation 88-92% for patients with a history of COPD until arterial blood gases (ABGs) have been checked.

* High level of oxygen concentration cause the increase level of co2 in blood that cause respiratory acidosis that may be fatal for the patient if untreated.