Perioperative Management in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results in three million deaths a year globally; COPD is becoming the third leading cause of death worldwide (Shin et al., 2017). The prevalence of COPD has a significant impact on the delivery of anesthesia in surgery. Purpose: This poster analyzes risk factors associated with COPD and the complications associated with the disease. The implications and nursing considerations are outlined to direct goals of care and ventilator management during surgery. Methodology: The data was collected from various control trials and meta-analysis studies. Information was also derived from pathophysiology and anesthesia resources. Results: Patients with COPD were found to be higher risk for the development of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) (Bustamante et al., 2017). COPD also caused patients to have extended extubation times compared to patients without COPD. Conclusions: The risk of PPCs can be minimized with appropriate nursing interventions including small tidal volumes, prolonged expiratory phases, and fluid restriction during surgery