Patient education and prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Patient education and prevention - Essay Example One of the important strategies for prevention of acute exacerbations in a COPD patient like James is regular physiotherapy. It is very important for the nurse to educate the patient about the importance of physiotherapy because; education enhances active participation in health care, increases coping skills, enhances the understanding of the disease, assists in self-management and increases adherence to treatment plan (Neish and Hopp, 1988). According to the NICE guidelines (2004), physiotherapy must be instituted to reduce work of breathing associated with COPD, to restore the maximum function of the patient and to improve respiratory and peripheral muscle weakness. There are many techniques in physiotherapy which help to manage breathlessness. Positioning of body, control of breathing, chest clearance, exercise training and chest physiotherapy are some of the methods which are commonly employed to reduce breathlessness in COPD patients. Breathing control techniques also help the p atient cope with breathlessness. Adaptation of certain positions decreases oxygen consumption of the body and also increases ventilation-perfusion of the lungs, thus decreasing breathlessness. Patients must be advised to choose a position that makes them feel comfortable. While adopting such a position, the arms must be relaxed and supported.