... patient is a significant clinical event requiring prompt diagnosis and management (GOLD, 2001). A critical review of principles of chronicity, definitions of the disease, risk factors and nursing interventions for COPD will also be discussed. Chronic illnesses have profound consequences for the individual and psychological well being (Alexander, Fawcett and Runciman, 2000). The patient's experience and the effects of their condition on family and carers will be looked at in detail. Focus of this assignment is on experiences of living with COPD from the patient and their significant others' perspectives and as such the pathogenesis of the respiratory disorder will not be explored in detail. The activities of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in the diagnosis and management of COPD will be identified. In the United Kingdom, COPD is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death (behind heart disease, cancer and cerebrovascular disease) and may be underestimated due to concomitant co ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now