Unresolved Q#9 ? Top Contributers And Med Ppl Plz ! Fast Answer Your Opinion ~ 10 Pnts.?

Question

Raymond Harrison, a 64-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with fever, shaking chills, a nonproductive cough, and chest pain for six days. A chest x-ray revealed extensive accumulation of fluid in both lungs. The patient had mild hypertension and a275 pack/year smoking history. A physical exam revealed a blood pressure of 150/90, a body temperature of 101.8°F, and the patient was cyanotic (looked blue) and in respiratory distress. The patient’s heart rate was elevated at 100 beats per minute. An arterial blood gas test was performed and the oxygen saturation of the arterial blood was 72% (normal would be 94–100%). The blood test revealed an elevated

How does the abnormal oxygen saturation value relate to the patient’s elevated

heart rate?

If you had to choose between emphysema and chronic bronchitis as your diagnosis, which would you choose and what evidence did you use to make this choice?

Explain why doctors are using antibiotics and bronchodilators to treat this patient?

Answer 1

The heart is pumping harder to circulate oxygen through his system, which he is getting less of because of his ailment.  I would have to say that it is chronic bronchitis because of his elevated temperature and makings of an infection rather then something caused by smoking, although he probably does have mild emphysema which would exacerbate his condition.  The treatments of antibiotics and bronchitis are 2 fold.  To cure the infection of course and to increase his O2/CO2 exchange rate.

Answer 2

The heart has to pump faster to try and circulate the oxygen poor blood through the system.  If his oxygen saturation was normal, then the heart would not have to pump so hard and fast to try and keep the saturation of oxygen normal throughout the whole body.  If I had to pick, I would say that his diagnosis is chronic bronchitis.  Emphysema would not cause a fever, and doctors would not treat emphysema with antibiotics.  

The doctors are giving the man antibiotics and bronchodilators to get rid of the infection and open up the passages in the lungs to try and make breathing easier for him, and also to try and up his oxygen saturation.