NRNP 6566 Week 6 Knowledge Check

NRNP 6566 Week 6 Knowledge Check A 54 year old female has a 30 year pack smoking history. She recently underwent pulmonary function testing which showed moderate obstructive lung disease. What would your treatment plan (including medications) include for this patient? Correct Answer: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2020 suggests that smoking cessation should be immediately pursued if the patient is still smoking. Nicotine replacement (gum, inhaler, nasal spray, patch, lozenge, or sublingual tablet) are reliable methods to assist in long term smoking cessation. Varenicline, bupropion, and nortriptyline also increase long term quit rates but should be one part of an intervention program and not the sole intervention. Professional counseling and support have a positive impact on smoking cessation. Bronchodilators are the baseline medication for COPD patients. Patients can be initiated on short acting beta agonists (SABA) or long term beta agonists (LABA) based on their symptoms. Short acting medications come in various forms including inhaler, nebulizer, pills, or liquid syrup. Long acting bronchodilators are delivered via inhaler or nebulizer. Combinations of SABA and LABA s are common in treatment plans for COPD patients. LABA have a duration of action of 12 hours while SABA last for about 4-6 hours. SABA can provide immediate symptom relief.