Ted is a 61-year-old male who presents to the ER after a three-day history of progressive dyspnea, cough and increased production of clear sputum. Patient is so short of breath; he has difficulty climbing up on the exam table and completing a sentence without a long pause. He is a long-time smoker and notes that he has lost 25lbs. over the past few years without dieting.
His main issue is his inability to breath out more than it is to breath in. An Arterial Blood Gas
Analysis revealed a pH of 7.33