Question

You are

. . . an advanced-level RRT working in the Acute Respiratory Care Unit of Fulwood Medical Center with pulmonologist Tavis Senko, MD.

Your patient is

. . . Mr. Jude Jacobs, a 68-year-old white retired mail carrier, who is known to have COPD and is on continual oxygen by nasal prongs. He has smoked two packs a day for his adult life. Last night, he was unable to sleep because of increased shortness of breath and cough. His cough produced yellow sputum. He had to sit upright in bed to be able to breathe.

VS are T 101.6°F, P 98, R 36, BP 150/90. On examination, he is cyanotic and frightened and has nasal prongs in his nose. Air entry is diminished in both lungs, and there are crackles at both bases. You have been ordered to draw blood for ABGs and to measure the amount of air entering and leaving his lungs by using spirometry.

In your initial post, answer the following questions:

• What is your profession?
• What is another name for nasal “prongs”?
• What is the medical term for “shortness of breath?"
• What is the yellow sputum is indicative of?
• What might Cyanosis indicate?
• From where does an ABG come?

Answer 1

I am an Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT) and I have a consulting role in patient with serious pulmonary and respitory complications and I have to take care of appropriate patient care planning and treatment.

Another name for nasal “prongs” is nasal "cannula"

The medical term for “shortness of breath is "dyspnea"

The yellow sputum is indicating that the body of the patient is fighting an infection and the yellow color is due to pus.

Cyanosis might indicate low levels of oxygen in the red blood cells which can result in heart failure, shock or blood circulation disorder.

ABG comes from blood drawn from radial artery.