The 45 y.o. woman who presents to the facility with shortness of breath, fevers, and thick green sputum is likely to face several cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary processes that influence the presence of these symptoms. One of these possible pathophysiologic processes that could result in the condition is the formation of blood clots in the capillaries of the lungs where gaseous exchange takes place.
Given the fact that the patient has a history of COPD and also has a flattened diaphragm, it is possible that the problems leading to the symptoms occurred when the endothelium wall of the smooth tissues of the lungs failed to make intelligent decisions regarding whether or not they should initiate the clotting process (André et al., 2019; Siddiqi & Ruberg, 2018). These conditions make it hard for the lung to function normally, with shortness of breath being one of the major presentations.
Racial and Ethnic Variables that may affect Physiological Functioning
Among the racial and ethnic variables that could influence physiological functioning include the fact that some groups have lower response to the attack of such conditions. When compared to whites, African Americans have lower lung functions, and hence are more susceptible to the diseases of the lungs. This variance is because of the absence of sufficient levels of alpha-carotene, and antioxidants vitamins C and A (Di Lullo et al., 2016).
People of color have smaller capacity of their lungs compared to whites, hence showing the presence of inferior physical organisms (Shaefi et al., 2018). This smaller lung capacity can specifically limit the ability of individuals to survive under strained conditions, such as areas of high altitude or places where the oxygen concentrations is extremely low (Flores, Loomba, & Bronicki, 2020). The fact that some ethnic communities involve themselves more with dangerous smoking habits also reduces the ability of their lungs to fight such conditions.
Interaction of these Processes to affect the Patient
Faulty cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems and processes lead to strain of the patient in accessing other elements that boost their health. Specifically, when patients have lower capacity to access oxygen in their lungs, it becomes hard for them to function well in other organs. The first organ affected is the heart, where an insufficient buildup of oxygen in the lungs leads to deficiency of oxygen in the coronary vessels, which slows down the rate of the heart and could even result in things such as heart failure.
Where there is failure of enough oxygen access to the brain, more dangerous conditions such as stroke can envelop in the patient. Kidney function, which aides in the efficient removal of waste products from the body, can also be affected by failed cardiopulmonary procedures (Gabriel-Costa, 2018). The glomerular flow of blood is determined by the pressure of the blood from the heart, and if it is not enough, there may be incorrect infiltration of substances in the kidneys (Hillegass, Lowers, & Barker, 2016).
Regular buildup of waste products in the body could lead to imbalance in the sugar levels which could also lead to even worse conditions such as ED for males and other reproductive problems among females (Sehgal et al., 2016). The bottom-line is that the failure to correct the failed cardiopulmonary processes can lead to a series of problems that could completely incapacitate the patient.
References
André, S., Conde, B., Fragoso, E., Boléo-Tomé, J. P., Areias, V., & Cardoso, J. (2019). COPD and cardiovascular disease. Pulmonology, 25(3), 168-176.
Di Lullo, L., Bellasi, A., Barbera, V., Russo, D., Russo, L., Di Iorio, B., & Ronco, C. (2017). Pathophysiology of the cardio-renal syndromes types 1–5: An up-to-date. Indian heart journal, 69(2), 255-265.
Flores, S., Loomba, R. S., & Bronicki, R. A. (2020). Heart–Lung Interactions and Cardiovascular Support in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. In Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (pp. 159-172). Springer, Cham.