COPD

Please familiarize yourself with the terminology associated with this course, this will facilitate understanding of the material and improve the efficiency of knowledge acquisition:

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms (dyspnea, cough, sputum production and/or exacerbations) due to abnormalities of the airways (bronchitis, bronchiolitis) and/or alveoli (emphysema) that cause persistent, often progressive, airflow obstruction.

Malnutrition – this term can refer to under nutrition (being underweight or losing weight) or over nutrition (being overweight or obese).

Sarcopenia - loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength.

Pulmonary cachexia syndrome - loss of fat-free body mass causing muscle wasting.

Hypoventilation is breathing that is too shallow or too slow to meet the needs of the body.

Underweight - if BMI is under 18.5 kg/m2.

Overweight - if BMI is 25.0 to <30 kg/m2.

Obesity - if BMI is over 30 kg/m2.

Sarcopenic obesity is characterized by the combination of obesity, defined by high body fat percentage, and sarcopenia, defined as low skeletal muscle mass accompanied by low muscle function.

Nutritional Guidelines - these guidelines describe the nutrients, foods and dietary patterns needed to achieve health gain.

Nutritional support is the provision of the body with nutrients, calories, vitamins, and minerals, aimed at increasing the amount of muscle tissue (muscle mass).

Nutrition screening is a process used to quickly identify those who may be at risk of malnutrition so that a full nutrition assessment and appropriate nutrition intervention can be provided.

Weight management refers to behaviors, techniques, and physiological processes that contribute to a person's ability to attain and maintain a healthy weight.

Macronutrients - are defined as a class of chemical compounds which humans consume in relatively large quantities compared to vitamins and minerals, and which provide humans with energy.

Micronutrients - are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities to regulate physiological functions of cells and organs.

Vitamins - are organic molecules (or a set of closely related molecules called vitamers) that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function.

Vitamin A  - all-trans-retinols, all-trans-retinyl-esters, as well as all-trans-beta-carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids.

Vitamin B1 - thiamine.

Vitamin B2 - riboflavin.

Vitamin B3 - niacin.

Vitamin B5 - pantothenic acid.

Vitamin B6 - pyridoxine.

Vitamin B7 - biotin.

Vitamin B9 - folic acid and folates.

Vitamin B12 - cobalamins.

Vitamin C - ascorbic acid and ascorbates.

Vitamin D - calciferols.

Vitamin E - tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Vitamin K - phylloquinones, menaquinones, and menadiones.

Antioxidants - are compounds that inhibit oxidation (usually occuring as autoxidation), a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals.

Comorbidity is a medical term that describes the existence of more than one disease or condition in the body at the same time.

Arterial hypertension is a chronic disease in which blood pressure is either above 140 mm Hg. Art. for systolic, or 90 mm Hg. Art. for diastolic pressure.

Patient education is the process of influencing patient behaviour and producing the changes in knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to maintain or improve health through the provision of information and the teaching of patients.

Patient counseling refers to the process of providing vital information, advice and assistance to help you with your medications and to ensure you take them properly.

Effective communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose.

COPD management includes appropriate pharmacotherapy aimed at both symptom management and exacerbation prevention, smoking cessation promotion, pulmonary rehabilitation and regular follow-up monitoring of disease progression.

Self-management is a person's ability to regulate behavior, thoughts and emotions in a way that better serves him and his work.

Personalized Learning Plan is developed by the learner in collaboration with consultants as a way to help them achieve their short and long-term learning goals.