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A 67-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to Cough

question 101

Multiple Choice

A 67-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to cough with greenish sputum production and increased shortness of breath over the last 4 days. His medical history includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with tiotropium and budesonide/formoterol. The patient reports increased use of albuterol to 4 times a day. Two months ago, his FEV1 to FVC ratio was 55% of predicted and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide was within normal limits. Today, the patient's blood pressure is 152/90 mm Hg, pulse is 108/min, respirations are 22/min, and pulse oximetry shows 88% on room air. He is in mild respiratory distress with some accessory muscle usage and can speak in short sentences. Chest auscultation reveals prolonged expiration with bilateral wheezes. Arterial blood gas on room air shows pH 7.35, PaCO₂ 44 mm Hg, and PaO₂ 55 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry improves to 95% after he is placed on supplemental oxygen at 5 L/min. Which of the following mechanisms best explains this patient's improvement in oxygen saturation following oxygen supplementation?

Definitions:

Heart Disease

This encompasses various types of cardiovascular conditions that affect the heart's structure and function, leading to health complications.

Strokes

A medical condition where the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, causing brain cells to die from lack of oxygen.

Cancer

A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues.

Type B Personality

Characteristic behavior pattern that is relaxed, less competitive than Type A, and more resistant to stress.