Select one (1) peer-reviewed research article that you used in your research paper to share with the class.  Do not discuss en editorial or letter to editor.   After reading your selected article, post the following information: 1. Why is the research question significant to your research paper?    2. What was the purpose of the study?   3. What was the study design?   4. Who was in the study population(s)/sample(s)?  5. What was the outcome and was it consistent with the researcher(s)' original research question?   6. What recommendation(s) did the researcher offer for future studies?   7. How do you know this article was peer-reviewed? OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY  DI SEASE (COPD)  1 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ) Name Course Tutor Date Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ) Abstract  A chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the current killers in the world. It is a preventable disease that makes it difficult for the affected individual to empty air out of the lungs otherwise referred to as airflow obstruction. The difficulties in breathing that is brought about by this condition leaves one feeling tired because they use  much  energy to  breathe  than required.  The c hronic  obstructive pulmonary disease is a term that is used to include other types of pulmonary diseases that include chronic bronchitis, emphysema or both. Although asthma is a health condition that results in difficulties in breathing it is not included among the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  The effects of the disease are not instant but rather evolve at a slower rate inhibiting the breathing system of a patient.  However,  the  most important thing to note is that the disease can  be prevented  and it is relatively easier when it  is detected  in its earlier stages than in advanced stage. In the United States, between 10 % and 20% of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is said to have been caused by occupational or exposure to chemical vapors,  irritants ,  and fumes which are very much contaminated. A  large  percentage of patients who are suffering from COPD are said to be  smokers ,  but a recent research indicated that 25 % of patients with COPD have never smoked in the United States. This paper provides an in-depth analysis into chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases including the historical perspective,  symptoms, and causes  of COPD, method of spread, how it can  be contained , and its implication on the economy,  treatment ,  and efforts being put in place to ensure that the disease is  contained . Keywords COPD,  Chronic, Obstructive. Bronchodilators,  Pulmonary, Prevalence, Mortality . History of the diseases The c hronic  obstructive pulmonary disease has been in existence for the last 200  years; the only difference is that its prevalence back in the day was much lower mainly because of  the lower  presence of risk factors than they are currently.  The disease  was recognized  by the.

1. Select one (1) peer-reviewed research article that you used in
your research paper to share with the class.
Do not discuss en editorial or letter to editor.
After reading your selected article, post the following
information:
1. Why is the research question significant to your research
paper?
2. What was the purpose of the study?
3. What was the study design?
4. Who was in the study population(s)/sample(s)?
5. What was the outcome and was it consistent with the
researcher(s)' original research question?
6. What recommendation(s) did the researcher offer for future
studies?
7. How do you know this article was peer-reviewed?
OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY
DI
SEASE (COPD)
1

2. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (
COPD
)
Name
Course
Tutor
Date
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (
COPD
)
Abstract
A chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the
current killers in the world. It is a preventable disease that
makes it difficult for the affected individual to empty air out of
the lungs otherwise referred to as airflow obstruction. The
difficulties in breathing that is brought about by this condition
leaves one feeling tired because they use
much
energy to
breathe
than required.
The c
hronic
obstructive pulmonary disease is a term that is used to include

3. other types of pulmonary diseases that include chronic
bronchitis, emphysema or both. Although asthma is a health
condition that results in difficulties in breathing it is not
included among the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The effects of the disease are not instant but rather evolve at a
slower rate inhibiting the breathing system of a patient.
However,
the
most important thing to note is that the disease can
be prevented
and it is relatively easier when it
is detected
in its earlier stages than in advanced stage.
In the United States, between 10 % and 20% of the chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease is said to have been caused by
occupational or exposure to chemical vapors,
irritants
,
and fumes which are very much contaminated. A
large
percentage of patients who are suffering from COPD are said to
be
smokers
,
but a recent research indicated that 25 % of patients with
COPD have never smoked in the United States. This paper
provides an in-depth analysis into chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases including the historical perspective,
symptoms, and causes
of COPD,
method of spread, how it can
be contained
, and its implication on the economy,
treatment
,
and efforts being put in place to ensure that the disease is

4. contained
.
Keywords
COPD,
Chronic, Obstructive. Bronchodilators,
Pulmonary,
Prevalence, Mortality
.
History of the diseases
The c
hronic
obstructive pulmonary disease has been in existence for the last
200
years;
the only difference is that its prevalence back in the day was
much lower mainly because of
the
lower
presence of risk factors than they are currently.
The disease
was recognized
by the use of stethoscope and spirometer. Spirometer up to date
remains the most efficient method of identifying chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease and its respond to therapy. The
disease is ranked 4
th
amongst
the
United States
killer disease this shows that the
disease
has indeed evolved because of the high presence of risk factors.
It
is estimated
by various scientific studies done that chronic obstructive

5. pulmonary disease will be the third largest killer in the
United States
if
the situation
is not contained
(
Barnes et.al, 2012, p.38
).
The earliest incidences of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease
The very
earliest
symptom of COPD was
experienced
in the year 1679 although it
was not directly identified
. It
was described
as voluminous lungs
. The lungs of the patients were said to be turgid at the time. In
1789, Baillie published
a long
documentation highlighting the emphysematous lung which put
forth the pathology of the disease. Emphysema was the known
type of COPD that occurred very long ago. Jon Hutchison is the
brain behind the spirometer which was the commonly used
instrument to carry out tests on patients
to
evaluate if they had the COPD in the year 1846. The
spirometer
is
still used
in current settings (Barnes et.al, 2012, p.56).

6. Symptoms of COPD
The symptoms of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease don
not always appear in initial periods but rather take
the
time
to show up especially after excessive lung damage. It is
very important
for
a patient
or anyone who develops some uncommon
symptoms
to visit a healthcare facility to conduct tests
to
be
quite sure
that there is
no such like condition in play (Littner, 2011, p.23).
The most common symptom of COPD is shortness of breath
especially after a short physical exercise or even under
little
tension. This occurs
mainly
when the effect on the lungs has started being severe and an
individual having shortness of breath should consider
visiting a
health facility
to

7. be
fully
aware of the extent of
his or her problem (Littner, 2011, p.28).
Another symptom to note is that there is always
the
presence
of mucus in the lungs thus an individual has to clear their
throat first thing in the morning on
a
daily
basis.
An individual who has this condition has
excessive respiratory infections because the immune system is
low
and cannot be able to fight even the smallest of the infections
in the respiratory system. The disease already weakens the
system.
In later stages of the
disease
,
a
patient undergoes
severe
weight loss because the body cannot
specifically
operate
norm
ally
as some functionality are already
being subjected
to numerous activities in fighting the disease thus preventing
the other parts of the

8. busy
receive the service needed.
Patients
are
suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also are
subjected to chest tightness due to the difficulties that the heart
undergoes in ensuring that the breathing system is
regulated
,
and body continues to function normally. However, the massive
damage to the lungs makes the whole process even more
difficult
(Littner, 2011, p.51).
The
patients
also
suffer
from blueness of the lips or fingernails otherwise referred to as
cyanosis. The condition
ar
ose
from
poor circulation of blood or in situations
when the
blood supplied has not been properly subjected to all the stages
hence missing the
important
oxygenation.
Individuals having
the
chronic
obstructive pulmonary
disease have
high chances of experiencing
exacerbations, where the symptoms of the disease become worse

9. every single
day
,
and the variations tend to occur for several days or weeks.
It is also important to note that not everyone who has COPD has
the
symptoms mentioned
above
,
and it is not true that everyone who has
the above-mentioned symptoms
suffer from the disease. It is
imperative
for individuals to consider having regular medical checks
to
know their physical and mental state
about
various diseases that tend to have silent symptoms and that the
symptoms only arise when the conditions
are
very critical thus risking their life and state of well-being for
other individuals. Medical centers are well equipped with
diagnosing
equipment
thus are authorized to carry out tests on patients
to
kno
w
what type of disease
is one suffering from (Barnes et.al, 2012, p.59)
.
The causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
The prevalence of COPD is recent days has been on the
rise
,
and this can

10. be attributed
to the increase in risk factors that are brought about by
industrialization.
The disease
was on
the
lower
side in the 20
th
century because the risk factors were not as many as currently
being witnessed. Individuals are regularly subjected to these
conditions making it difficult to control and manage. The
causes
of the disease range from biological to environmental and it is
im
portant to understand the
causes
so that to be better placed to develop any control measure to
deal with these
risk factors
(Barnes et.al, 2012, p.64).
The most common causes of the chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease in
a
developed
country is tobacco smoking while
in developing countries
the COPD occurs to individuals who are exposed to fumes
and other
strong
chemicals and also cooking in poorly ventilated homes.
Research
shows that only 25 %
of chronic smokers end up developing

11. clinically
associated
COPD. Some smokers
often
develop
lesser-known lung
conditions. Many smokers
are misdiagnosed
to the effect of
the
presence
of COPD but until further
tests
are conducted to provide
a true
statement about their conditions.
It is a common perception the chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease
is mainly for
smokers
,
but this is far from the truth. T
he current
research
studies done
indicate
that lately many non-
smokers
are
being diagnosed
with the
disease

12. which raises more questions as to what are some of the risk
factors associated with this fast growing disease
in the
U
nited
S
tates
(Barnes et.al, 2012, p.69).
Biological causatives
Some researches
have
been conducted indicating that COPD can result from a genetic
disorder in an individual. The genetic disorder causes
the
presence
of low levels of
a certain
protein cell that is called alpha-1 antitrypsin. This protein cell
is made in the liver and secreted straight
into the
bloodstream to
offer
protective support to the lungs.
Thus,
the presence of lower
levels the
alpha-1
antitrypsin in
the body leaves the lungs barely protected and increase the
risks
of being
caught out by the disease with ease.
Thus,

13. it is important to conduct various medical tests to be in a better
po
sition to deal with the outcome (Littner, 2011, p.88).
Another cause for the chronic obstructive pulmonary
diseases
is the presence of under-treated asthma in an
individual’s
body.
In this situation, the
respiratory
,
immune system is already
overworked
dealing with
asthma
making it easier for a different type of disease to
easily
enter the body of a patient. In this case, the COPD is said to be
an opportunistic
disease
.
The presence of industrial fumes and chemical all over the place
brought about by massive industrialization has become the
latest risk factor
in causing
the COPD
. Individuals who leave close to these industries
have high
chances of developing COPD because they
high
inhale this fumes and
chemicals, which
are untreated as they
are
released
into the atmosphere by these

14. industries
.
In the
United States
, chemicals and fumes inhalation has become one of the major
causative agents of the COPD
and the
research
shows
that by
the year 20130 if the
current
situation is not
contained these
will be the highest causative agent for the chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease in the
United States
and all the d
eveloped countries (Littner, 2011, p.117).
Method of spread
In the
United States
, approximately
24
million individuals are infected with this condition
. The 12 million individuals have
been diagnosed
;
there
are higher chances that many more individuals may be affected
by the disease but are not aware of the same because the
disease
is still in early stages or they
are not exposed
to highly technological machines that can

15. effectively
detect the presence of COPD in the body.
How the lungs are affected by the COPD
In a medically
normal
person, the inhaled air travels down from the trachea to the
lungs through bronchi. Inside the lungs, the tubes
divide
severally into
bronchioles that
are
much
smaller. The bronchioles deliver the inhaled air into the
alveoli that
are otherwise known as
air sacs
. The
air sacs
comprise of
thin
walls
that
are filled
with small
blood
vessels
.
The air inhaled thus undergoes the oxygenation process at this
level and released into the blood stream filled with oxygen.
The
lu
ngs
, in general,

16. depend on the ability of bronchial tubes to expand and contract
as the normal respiratory
process continues (
Tavazzi et.al, 2013, p. 34-39
).
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
inhibit
s
the elasticity of bronchial tubes and over expand
. This leaves some air trapped within the
tubes
during exhalation process.
Thus
bringing about difficulties in breathing.
The process is not a one-time activity but keeps on reoccurring
until the system cannot accommodate anymore-trapped air in
the
tubes that
cause
the adverse effects as witnessed among patients. The initial
stages of the disease cannot
be easily identified
because
the body
is still in its right frame (Tavazzi et.al, 2013, p. 58).
Methods to contain the disease
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has no
cure
,
but
there are measures that can
be

17. undertaken
to
contain
the spread of the disease both at its initial stages and also in
its
advanced stages.
The American Lung Association
is fully committed
to
ensuring that patients suffering from the COPD are well-taken
care off. The association offers quality resources and
information involving the disease where anyone interested can
have access and develop the intellectual self.
Some of the
common
methods that individuals can
undertake to
contain the disease include
exercising
frequently, taking medication as prescribed by a physician, use
of
oxygen
therapy and attending pulmonary
rehabilitations
(Murphy and Sethi, 2002
, p.43
).
Monitor your COPD
The c
hronic
obstructive pulmonary disease tends to grow worse over time
thus it is
very important
for a COPD

18. patient to
monitor
the rates and level of COPD
to
contain it. It is al
s
o to
monitor
the reactions to various treatment drugs
in order to avoid
a fatal reaction.
Therapy
with medication
People living with COPD can use medication to relieve adverse
symptoms
and prevent
the disease from further progression.
COPD patients usually use medication to enable
them
to
have easy breathing with less energy. The shortness of breath
experienced by these patients can be
fatal
since the heart may not receive the
much-needed
air
to facilitate all the body functionalities.
Oxygen therapy
Patients suffering from COPD always suffer from inadequate
oxygen in the body thus requires a boost in
the
form
of oxygen therapy. The lungs are either blocked or damaged
thus

19. ,
cannot effectively
distribute enough
oxygen
throughout
the body
effectively
.
H
e
supplemental
oxygen
issued increases
the levels of pure oxygen in the body so that the lungs can have
enough to distribute.
Getting extra oxygen
can
regulate the body functionality into its previous normal
activities (Murphy and Sethi, 2002
, p.55
).
Pulmonary rehabilitation
This rehabilitation program is a six
to
twelve
-
week
program that
is mainly aimed
at stabilizing the condition of the patients suffering from
COPD. It also
include

20. s
educational sessions and exercises for COPD patients.
The pulmonary rehabilitation is said to have a positive impact
on
patients’
shortness of breath, quality of life and reduce hospitaliza
tion days of patients with COPD (Polkey et.al, 2013, p. 44).
Prevalence of the disease in the
United States
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has
had
an increasing
mortality rate among the United States
citizens.
The disease has gained interest as a major public health
concern. The disease is currently under intense research
scrutiny because of its ever-increasing prevalence.
It is ranked third
in
the United States most killer diseases.
The
United
S
tates
alone is understood to have 24 million individuals with COPD
with an aggregate of 54 million
globally
,
but the global analysis is most likely to be
hindered by
the absence of specialized
equipment’s
that are
normally
sued to diagnose the disease
(Tavazzi et.al, 2013, p. 61).

21. Figure 1:
Proportion of USA population with
Spirometric
evidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, using
criteria from the Global Initiative
for
Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) to classify subjects.
Adapted from
D. M. Mannino et al. Eur Respir J 2006;27:627-643
Figure 2
From the figure above it is quite evident that the mortality as a
result of COPD has been on a steady increase over the years
since the year 1999.
The male population has a higher mortality rate than female
population. This can be attributed to their lifestyles as they are
highly exposed to more COPD risk factors than their female
counterparts are.
Cost
Although it is not easy to approximate the
costs associated
with COPD, the disease
has
a
huge impact
on

22. the general economy including direct costs that
are incurred
including both inpatient and
outpatient.
T
he
loss of productivity due to
a
large
percentage of
the
sick
workforce
who dedicate much of their time to treatment, in the year 2007,
the health costs that
were directed
to COPD were estimated at $24 billion and the overall cost
burden including lack of
productivity
was $43 billion.
In the year 2010, the medical cost of COPD
w
as
estimated to be $ 32.1 billion with prediction studies indicating
that united states will incur $ 49 billion
regarding
medical
costs
related to COPD (Tavazzi et.al, 2013, p. 73).
Treatment
The c
hronic
obstructive pulmonary disease has no absolute

23. cure
. T
hus
,
the patients can
only relieve
or slow down the
disease
progress in the body by incorporating various treatment
actions.
Patients suffering from the disease to help in their breathing
and air circulation process in the body can use
various
medicines. All the treatment
medicines
are mainly aimed
at regulating breathing process and
air circulation within the body, t
he medication that is prescribed
for
people living with this condition fall und
er three significant categories (Pauwels et.al, 2012, p.24)
.
Steroids
Patients with
the
chronic
obstructive pulmonary
condition
to reduce the inflammation that occurs in the airways to
facilitate easy breathing and free circulation of air legally use
steroids.
Antibiotics
These

24. normal
antibiotics are
used
to treat and control bacterial infections in the respiratory
systems
in COPD patients. Antibiotics are always preferred because the
immune system has already been weakened thus cannot deal
even with the smallest of the infections.
Bronchodilators
These
are inhalers
designed to open up the
patient
'
s
airways and facilitate in making breathing much eas
ier for a patient (Pauwels et.al, 2012, p.36).
Current and future
e
ducational efforts
Sensitizing the
public
about the
effects the
prevalence of COPD in the
United States
is a positive in ensuring that the disease does not reach the
projected rates in the future. American Lung Association has
been at
the
forefront
in ensuring that American citizens
are sensibly educated
about the dangers

25. of COPD and some common risk factors that can
be easily avoided
. The association has also placed more informational
articles
about
OCPD have
been
placed
on its official website to facilitate easy access to information by
everyone who seeks to find out more about
the
chroni
c
obstructive pulmonary disease (Pauwels et.al, 2012, p.49).
Scientists and
researchers
have identified
OCPD,
as an area of
interest
,
and
a public health concern thus
is
out to find more improved medical solutions and possible ways
to control and manage the disease from becoming a number one
killer in the
United States
.
Conclusion
The c
hronic

26. obstructive pulmonary disease is becoming
more
serious
than
previously anticipated because of the increased risk factors.
The medical practitioners are therefore encouraged to sensitize
the
public
to consider regular medical
checkups
because some individuals
to
not
have the initial symptoms
,
but they come to realize when the condition is critical. COPD
has no cure thus it can only be regulated so
that the
disease does not progress into extreme
conditions that
may be fatal.
References

27. Barnes, P. J., Chowdhury, B., Kharitonov, S. A., Magnussen,
H., Page, C. P., Postma, D., & Saetta, M. (2012
). Pulmonary biomarkers in chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease
. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.
Littner, M. R. (2011).
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Annals of internal medicine
Murphy, T. F., & Sethi, S. (2002).
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
. Drugs & aging.
Pauwels, R. A., Buist, A. S., Calverley, P. M., Jenkins, C. R., &
Hurd, S. S. (2012).
Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention
of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.
Polkey, M. I., Spruit, M. A., Edwards, L. D., Watkins, M. L.,
Pinto-Plata, V., Vestbo, J., ... & Coxson, H. O. (2013
). Six-minute-walk test in chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease: minimal clinically important difference for death or
hospitalization
. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.
Tavazzi, L., Swedberg, K., Komajda, M., Böhm, M., Borer, J.
S., Lainscak, M., ... & SHIFT Investigators. (2013).
Clinical profiles and outcomes in patients with chronic heart
failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an efficacy
and safety analysis of SHIFT study.
International journal of cardiology.