Acute respiratory symptoms (part II)

[sid010]

Thank you for your prompt response to my previous questions. They have prompted two further questions from me. My father has been told that his COPD is minor. He was relatively fine (no serious breathing issues and no coughing up brown mucous) until the major surgery in January when as you my recall from my last posting he stopped smoking. Now he can barely breathe and has frequently required treatment in the emergency department at the local hospital in the wee hours of the morning. The only diferences between now and then are (1) the fact of the surgery and the comcommitant hospital stay and (2) the fact that he stopped smoking. How can it be possible that his condition could have dramatically worsened in such a short period of time? Shouldn't the absence of cigarette smoking have resulted in a significant improvement rather than a significant decline in his respiratory function?

Thnaks again for your assistance.

Sid Freeman

[National Jewish]

As explained in the response to your previous posting green or brown mucus is often a sign of a lung infection.  Your father’s condition could have dramatically worsened because the lung infection has increased the inflammation that he already had in his lungs from smoking.  A culture of the mucus your father is coughing up would identify the germ.  While in the hospital it is possible to be exposed to germs that need to be treated with stronger antibiotics.  A sensitivity test done along with the culture would find the antibiotic that would work best against the germ.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program to maintain or bring back your father’s quality of life through aerobic exercise done on a regular basis.  When done routinely, this conditions the entire body so that the muscles are working as efficiently as possible.  This allows the breathing muscles to use the least amount of energy to move air in and out of the lungs.  Over time this helps to lessen shortness of breath.  Some programs will also include education about your father’s lung condition and nutrition.  Please read our Pulmonary Rehabilitation MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/pulmonary.html for more information.  Share this information with your father’s doctor to see if this would be helpful and where in his area there are programs.

Look for a pulmonary rehabilitation program that is under the supervision of a lung specialist, also called a pulmonologist.  In such a program, your father would have a thorough evaluation of all aspects of his COPD.  This would include getting the best treatment that is available such as:
· an inhaled steroid to decrease the inflammation in his lungs;
· Spiriva® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder) to decrease his shortness of breath, COPD flares, and hospitalizations for COPD;
· pulmonary hygiene to help him clear the mucus out of his lungs; and
· prompt and effective treatment of all lung infections.

[AndyRRT]

Sid,

You're fathers quiting smoking has absolutely NOTHING to do with his deteriorating condition. Please understand this. Its not rocket science that smoking is bad for you.

When people get sick, medical professions can't ALWAYS give answers as to why. We can base some questionable things on theory. "It could have happened because of.....blah-blah-blah"

You dad had surgery. Thic could have been taxing to his symptom. some anesthetics can diminish the bodies immune system making him suseptible to infection. It sounds like your dad needs some workup.

What ever it is, they should be treating his symptoms with oxygen, perhaps antibiotics if they find a source of infection, etc.

Keep us posted.

Andy, RRT, CPFT

[arries]

Just a though.  Most people have withdrawal symptoms after quiting an addiction and once that stage is gone they're okay.  so maybe his body is just cleaning house just after he quite smoking.