Pulmonary Case Study

CH is a sixty-three-year-old man who has had emphysema problems for many years. History: He smoked for twenty years before quitting.

The nurse meets CH for the first time. In performing a physical assessment, the healthcare provider would expect CH to have a "barrel" configuration to the chest. What is the underlying pathological process that contributed to the "barrel" chest configuration?

Lab values were drawn during the last physician visit; would you expect arterial gases to be normal or abnormal? Identify the pathological process involved in your response. CH and other patients with emphysema are at risk for what complications because of the pathologic process of their disease?