COPD & asthma in the Kenntnisprüfung

What does the diagnosis COPD mean?

• Acute bronchitis in smokers that usually heals completely after antibiotics
• A chronic, progressive narrowing of the airways, usually caused by smoking
• An episodic narrowing of the airways that is fully reversible between attacks
• Overinflation of the lungs that resolves completely once the person stops smoking

Explanation: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is irreversible and progressive; the main cause is tobacco smoke. The aim of therapy is to slow it down and control symptoms, not to cure it.

Which breathing technique helps with acute shortness of breath in COPD?

• Breathe quickly and shallowly through the mouth to take in as much air as possible
• Breathe in deeply, hold the breath briefly and then force it out hard through the mouth
• Pursed-lip breathing and a position that eases breathing (coachman’s seat (Kutschersitz), arms propped up)
• Lie flat on the back and keep breathing evenly with the head tilted back

Explanation: Pursed-lip breathing keeps the bronchi open during exhalation (PEEP effect); the coachman’s seat recruits the accessory respiratory muscles. Both are part of patient education. Forcing the air out hard, by contrast, makes the unstable bronchi collapse.