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Summary
Breathing is one of the main physical processes without which the body’s functioning is impossible. Without sufficient access to oxygen, the human body cannot efficiently operate since the work of many organ systems is disrupted (Rolfe, 2019). Therefore, in the presence of even minor breathing problems, a complete respiratory analysis is necessary, which will show what exactly interferes with the circulation of air and oxygen in the body. It is crucial to conduct a full-fledged examination since a superficial study of the symptoms may not reveal the whole picture. A timely analysis can prevent the development of the situation to a critical level and give time to take the necessary measures to restore a healthy state.
A complete respiratory assessment includes four groups of components, each examining the patient in one of the main directions. The study of respiratory parameters should be preceded by a general examination and a survey, which consists in checking for deviations. For example, a self-assumed, as in the case of the patient in question, tripod pose can mean shortness of breath (Zimlich, 2021). After that, it is necessary to perform a general inspection, which consists of a visual inspection of the patient’s external parameters. These include examining the person’s skin for the absence of pallor or cyanosis, membrane condition, sputum analysis, breathing patterns, and tracheal position (Baid et al., 2016). The second component, palpation, allows for determining if the chest expands normally when breathing and if there are any distortions or painful areas that should be examined later.
The use of percussion and checking the sounds emitted during exposure makes it possible to accurately determine the studied areas’ structure after palpation. The sound will be dull in the presence of a solid, dense structure, and in the presence of voids, it will resonate too strongly (Baid et al., 2016). Finally, the last component of the respiratory examination is auscultation, which identifies possible airway abnormalities based on breath sounds. Depending on the sound, such as wheezes or crackles, different causes of the current condition can be identified.
Escalation
The results obtained during the examination and respiratory analysis demonstrate that the patient is experiencing severe breathing problems. It is evidenced primarily by the position he has taken and increased work of breathing. In addition, this is confirmed by respiratory rate measurements, almost twice the norm, and low oxygen saturation. An important point that moves the further escalation of the study is the presence of crackles in the right lower lobe. Many conditions are associated with these sounds, from pneumonia to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Ellis, 2020). However, the possibility of heart disease can be excluded from the list of potential conditions with a high probability since it is not accompanied by an increase in temperature and low pressure observed in the patient (“Heart failure,” 2021). The symptoms present can be attributed to allergies, bronchitis, or pneumonia. To get a complete picture of what is happening, conducting some additional laboratory studies is necessary.
Their list, first of all, includes tests with a sample of blood and sputum for infections. The observed symptoms are inherent in some infectious diseases, such as bacterial pneumonia and bronchitis. Therefore, their confirmation may serve as the basis for choosing a treatment method that includes antibiotics (De Pietro, 2018). An echocardiogram is a method to check the functioning of the heart. Since the patient has specific abnormalities in heart function, expressed in increased heart rate and low blood pressure, it is necessary to check their cause. The chest x-ray allows, first of all, to determine the presence of inflammation in the lungs, which is often a sufficient basis for diagnosing pneumonia. Finally, oxygen therapy can be used to measure ongoing treatment (De Pietro, 2018). At the moment, the patient’s condition is not critical, but rather severe respiratory problems characterize it. Despite the increased work of breathing, the body does not receive sufficient oxygen saturation. Therefore, this type of therapy can be used to compensate for this deficiency during the period of establishing the causes of such a condition.
References
Baid, H., Creed, F., & Hargreaves, J. (Eds.) (2016). Oxford Handbook of critical care nursing (2 ed.). Oxford University Press.
De Pietro, M. (2018). Everything you need to know about bibasilar crackles. Medical News Today. Web.
Ellis, R. R. (2020). Lung sounds: What do they mean? WebMD. Web.
Heart failure. (2021). Mayo Clinic. Web.
Rolfe, S. (2019). The importance of respiratory rate monitoring. British Journal of Nursing, 28(8), 504–508.
Zimlich, R. (2021). How the tripod position can help COPD. Healthline. Web.
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