Why hello there, future Respiratory Therapist!
Thank you so much for downloading this cheat sheet. This one is all about the obstructive diseases
that you need to know for RT School. And it you learn this information now, it will definitely carry
over for when you start seeing patient of your own.
What is an obstructive disease?
People with obstructive lung diseases have shortness of breath due to difficulty exhaling all the air
from the lungs. Because of damage to the lungs or narrowing of the airways inside the lungs,
exhaled air comes out more slowly (decreases flows) than normal. At the end of a full exhalation,
an abnormally high amount of air may still linger in the lungs (air trapping).
What are the obstructive diseases?
The best ways to remember them is this: CBABE. You can use this mnemonic to easily remember
them.
C – Cystic Fibrosis
B – Bronchiectasis
A – Asthma
B – Bronchitis (particularly chronic bronchitis)
E – Emphysema
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COPD Practice Questions:
1. A method of medicine delivery that requires patients to keep track of how many doses they
have used is the:
Metered-dose inhaler
2. The most important risk factor for COPD is:
Smoking
3. Hypercapnia is caused by:
An above normal PaCO2
4. The most common test in diagnosing and monitoring COPD is:
Spirometry
5. The care approach best suited to COPD is:
1. Palliative care
2. Home health
6. In general, COPD patients are more likely to have complications when surgery is near:
The diaphragm, The throat.
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7. Exacerbation of COPD can be triggered by:
Infection, pollution, and cold weather.
8. True or False: FEV1 is the forced expiratory volume in one minute.:
False
9. A smoker is at least (_____) more likely to die of COPD than a nonsmoker:
10 times
10. Medications that relax the smooth muscles of the airways and make breathing easier are:
Bronchodilators
11. COPD can cause a heart problem called:
Cor pulmonale
12. Which of the following may signal the existence of asthma?:
Bronchodilator reversibility, Chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.
13. COPD is a burden:
For the entire world
14. List the general symptoms of COPD:
Dyspnea, cough, sputum, fever, wheezing, chest tightness, fatigue.
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Final Thoughts
So there you have! That wraps up this little mini-cheat sheet all about COPD and obstructive
diseases. I hope this information was helpful for you and can serve as a nice reminder about some
of the stuff we as Respiratory Therapists need to remember about obstructive diseases.
Have a great day and as always, breathe easy my friend! J
Recommended Reading:
When you get a moment, you can check out some of our books on the Amazon platform. We have
some of them available in the Kindle and also paperback and audio versions as well.
Hacking the TMC Board Exam
RRT Exam Questions
RRT Cheat Sheet
9 Questions You’ll See on the TMC Exam
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