Pulmonary Rehab Fact Sheet
Use this information as the basis for your press releases, articles, and other media interviews. You may also find it useful as a handout for media specialist’s reporters, interviewers, or anyone who needs the basic facts. Chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD) includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and Asthma– diseases that are characterized by obstruction to airflow. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis frequently coexist. COPD, which is the fourth leading cause of death, claims the lives of almost 112,584 American annually. • The annual cost to the nation for COPD is approximately $30.4 billion, including healthcare expenditures of $14.7 billion and indirect costs of $15.5 billion. Risk Factors for COPD: Smoking (80-90%), Passive smoking, ambient air pollution, hyper-responsive airways, and Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (less than 1%). More than 17 million Americans suffer from Asthma, which is the seventh-ranking chronic condition in America Asthma can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. These are caused by bronchospasm, inflammation of bronchi, and increased mucus, which can be triggered by allergens, chemicals, and environment changes. Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation and eventual scarring of the lining of the bronchial tubes. An estimated 8.9 million people were diagnosed with chronic bronchitis in 1998. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include chronic cough, increased mucus, frequent clearing of the throat and shortness of breath. Emphysema causes irreversible lung damage. The walls between the air sacs within the lungs lose their ability to stretch and recoil. They become weakened and break. Elasticity of the lung tissue is lost, causing air to be trapped in the air sacs and impairing the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Also, the support of the airways is lost, allowing for obstruction of airflow. An estimated three million Americans have been diagnosed with emphysema sometime in their life. Of the emphysema sufferers, 57 percent are male and 43 percent are female. While more men suffer from the disease •
than women do, the condition is increasing among women. Symptoms of emphysema include cough, shortness of breath and a limited exercise tolerance. The patient’s history, examination and other tests make diagnosis possible
Restrictive Lung disease, which includes Interstitial Fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, and occupational or environmental lung disease are characterized by “stiff” lungs whereas one can not expand or are unable to “take a deep breath”. There are more then 200,000 people suffer with restrictive lung disease. Symptoms are comprised of breathlessness during activities and dry cough. Because of poor oxygen transfer into the blood one will exhibit lower oxygen levels and may need supplemental oxygen. PULMONARY REHABILITATION Pulmonary rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary health-care program provided by a team of health professionals to help people cope physically, psychologically, and socially with lung disease. • People who experience chronic lung disease have a combination of problems, which is addressed in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Most programs emphasize the following components: patient assessment, exercise, education, breathing retraining with functional and daily activities, and psychosocial intervention. Most pulmonary rehab programs have a team of health care providers. The team may be comprised of Medical Director, respiratory therapist, nurse, physical and occupational therapist, and exercise physiologist. Depending on the severity of the disease, treatments may include bronchodilators, corticosteroid, antibiotics, and oxygen therapy.
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*This document may be modified for patient use. References: 1.AACVPR Web site: www.aacvpr.org 2. American Lung Association 3. Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs For a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center nearest you contact your local hospital or visit our National AACVPR web site www.aacvpr.org
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