North Carolina EMT State Practice Exam

Which sign is associated with emphysema?

1. Blue bloater

2. Pursed lips

3. Wheezing

4. Chronic cough

The correct answer is: Pursed lips

Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) characterized by damage to the alveoli in the lungs, leading to breathlessness and difficulty in oxygen exchange. One of the notable signs associated with emphysema is the use of pursed lips when exhaling. This technique helps to prolong expiration, thereby preventing air from being trapped in the lungs and improving the elimination of carbon dioxide. Patients with emphysema often have difficulty exhaling due to the destruction of lung tissue, so they may engage in pursed lip breathing to ensure they can adequately expel air from their lungs. Other signs and symptoms, while associated with different forms of respiratory diseases, do not characterize emphysema in the same way. For example, "blue bloater" is a term typically used to describe patients with chronic bronchitis, indicating a cyanotic appearance due to hypoxemia. Wheezing can occur in various airway diseases but is not specific to emphysema, as it often signifies bronchial constriction. A chronic cough can represent a symptom of both chronic bronchitis and emphysema, but it does not define emphysema specifically, which is more related to the airflow limitation and difficulty in breath control rather than a persistent cough