Pathophysiology of copd

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is airflow limitation caused by an inflammatory response to inhaled toxins, often cigarette smoke. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and various occupational exposures are less common causes in nonsmokers. Symptoms are productive cough and dyspnea that develop over years; common signs include decreased breath sounds, prolonged expiratory phase of respiration, and wheezing. Severe cases may be complicated by weight loss, pneumothorax, frequent acute decompensation episodes, right heart failure, and/or acute or chronic respiratory failure. Diagnosis is based on history, physical examination, chest x-ray, and pulmonary function tests. Treatment is with bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and, when necessary, oxygen and antibiotics. Lung volume reduction procedures or transplantation are used in advanced disease. Survival in COPD is related to the severity of airflow limitation and the frequency of exacerbations. Chronic obstructive bronchitis is chronic bronchitis with airflow obstruction. Chronic bronchitis is defined as productive cough on most days of the week for at least 3 months total duration in 2 successive years. Chronic bronchitis becomes chronic obstructive bronchitis if spirometric evidence of airflow obstruction develops. Chronic asthmatic bronchitis is a similar, overlapping condition characterized by chronic productive cough, wheezing, and partially reversible airflow obstruction; it occurs predominantly in smokers with a...

The lungs are the main organ of the respiratory system. Their main function is to assist in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide using the air that we inhale (McCance & Huether, 2019). The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes. The pulmonary artery brings deoxygenated blood to the capillaries that form respiratory membranes with the alveoli (McCance & Huether, 2019). The alveoli will perform gas exchange, and then the pulmonary veins will return the now oxygenated blood back to the heart so that it can be sent throughout the body (McCance & Huether, 2019). Around the lungs is the pleura which is made up of two layers, the visceral and parietal pleural layers. Between these two layers there is a small amount of pleural fluid that works as a lubricant to prevent any friction, as well as an adhesive to bring the lungs to the thoracic wall so that it can assist in the movement of lungs with every breath (McCance & Huether, 2019). With normal lung function, the alveoli in the lungs have strong elastic walls that allow air to expand and contract the little sacs. The bronchioles are nice and clear and allow air to flow in and out of them smoothly (McCance & Huether, 2019). This is normal lung function. COPD is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This is a lung disease that is obstructive in nature, irreversible, and can get worse over time (McCance & Huether, 2019). COPD is a common disease that is preventable. There are two main conditions that cause...

Pathology Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by poorly reversible airflow obstruction and an abnormal inflammatory response in the lungs. The latter represents the innate and adaptive immune responses to long term exposure to noxious particles and gases, particularly cigarette smoke. All cigarette smokers have some inflammation in their lungs, but those who develop COPD have an enhanced or abnormal response to inhaling toxic agents. This amplified response may result in mucous hypersecretion (chronic bronchitis), tissue destruction (emphysema), and disruption of normal repair and defence mechanisms causing small airway inflammation and fibrosis (bronchiolitis). Sagital slice of lung removed from a patient who received a lung transplant for COPD. Centrilobular lesions have coalesced to produce severe lung destruction in the upper lobe These pathological changes result in increased resistance to airflow in the small conducting airways, increased compliance of the lungs, air trapping, and progressive airflow obstruction—all characteristic features of COPD. We have good understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the pathological changes found in COPD. Pathogenesis Inflammation is present in the lungs, particularly the small airways, of all people who smoke. This normal protective response to the inhaled toxins is amplified in COPD, leading to tissue destruction, impairment of the defence mechanisms that limit such destruction, ...

COPD is an umbrella term for several To understand COPD’s pathophysiology, it’s important to understand When you inhale, air moves down your Oxygen moves from the lungs to the bloodstream through these capillaries. In exchange, carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the capillaries and then into the lungs before it’s exhaled. Emphysema is a disease of the alveoli. The fibers that make up the walls of the alveoli become damaged. The damage makes them less elastic and unable to recoil when you exhale, making it hard to exhale carbon dioxide out of the lungs. If the lung airways become inflamed, this results in bronchitis with subsequent mucus production. If the bronchitis persists, you can develop chronic bronchitis. You also can have temporary bouts of If you find yourself breathing harder than usual after a common activity, such as climbing stairs, you should see a doctor. One of the reasons breathing becomes more challenging is because the lungs produce more mucus and the bronchioles become inflamed and narrower as a result. With more mucus in your airways, less oxygen is being inhaled. This means less oxygen reaches the capillaries for gas exchange in your lungs. Less carbon dioxide is also being exhaled. Coughing to try to help release the mucus from the lungs is a common sign of COPD. If you notice that As COPD progresses, many other health complications can follow. Besides coughing, you may notice yourself Less oxygen circulating throughout your body can leave you f...