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An elderly, 70 year old female is admitted under our care. She has…
An elderly, 70 year old female is admitted under our care. She has recently retired and moved from Ft. Worth to Denver, Colorado. She went to the hospital for breathing difficulties and upon further inspection I discover that she has developed a viral infection in the lungs. She has fast shallow breathing and a wet, wheezy cough. Fluid in the lungs decreases surface area of aveoli and decreases the amount of gases that can be exchanged in the lower conducting zone. From her recent travels it is possible she could have developed acute mountain sickness. Which results in the lungs having to work harder for gases to be exchanged.
Upstream Causes:
I would say most of these factors have overlapped at the same time to produce her illness and symptoms.
It is only natural that our bodies weaken with age. Our abilities to breathe are no exception. As we age, alveolar cells die, surface tension decreases and volume goes down as well.
Her location absolutely plays a role as her lungs have not had time to acclimate to the higher elevations and lower pressures.
Th fact that she has a viral infection is probably the most concerning (pneumonia and pleural effusion) and was probably the end result of all these factors coming together.
Downstream Effects:
The reason she has a wet, wheezy cough is because there is liquid in the lungs or pleural cavity. Which produces less room for gases to be exchanged.
The liquid in her lungs could be caused by a pulmonary edema, caused by trauma to the chest, toxins being breathed, and visiting or exercising at high elevations.
If this continues untreated, the liquid in her lungs will continue to build until she drowns. To be short, death by pneumonia.
Volume from accumulation of fluid has decreased not only the volume of the lungs but also the surface area of alveoli, resulting in shallow breathing.
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