A 67-year-old male with a smoking history of 120-pack years complains of fatigue with exertion, shortness of breath, chronic cough, and wheezing
On physical examination, patient shows barrel-shaped chest, prolonged exhalation, circumoral cyanosis, and wheezing throughout both lung fields. Heart has regular rate and rhythm of 80 beats/min. Abdomen is obese and non-tender. Extremities show no significant findings. No neurological deficits. Arterial blood gases reveal acidosis. These signs and symptoms are characteristic of:
A. Congestive heart failure
B. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
C. Asthma
D. Lung cancer
ANS: B
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as chronic asthma/bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and emphysema, may be associated with fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing. The patient in the above scenario shows signs of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Cough and cyanosis are caused by chronic bronchitis. Barrel-shaped chest and acidosis are caused by emphysema.
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Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).