A 16-year-old black female presents with her mother to the emergency room with complaints of dyspnea and wheezing without relief after using her albuterol inhaler

A 16-year-old black female presents with her mother to the emergency room with complaints of dyspnea and wheezing without relief after using her albuterol inhaler.  The patient was diagnosed with COVID 6 days ago and started noticing that her breathing effort was getting harder in the last 2 days.  She reports a fever of 101F originally but has not had a fever in the last 24 hours.  She denies any chest pain but is having some increased dyspnea when she is walking around.  The patient has a 5-year history of intermittent asthma which has been controlled with her current medication.  The patient is currently using loratadine 10mg po daily, singular 10mg at bedtime, and albuterol 2 puffs via inhalation every 6 hrs. as needed.  She reports that she had to use multiple doses in the last 24 hours because her symptoms were worsening.  VS:  BP 132/88, pulse 120, respirations 28, O2 sat 94%, and temp 99.4F.  Upon exam the patient has diffuse wheezing bilaterally on expiration and minimal upon inspiration.  Breath sounds are diminished bilaterally.  Chest x-ray reveals hyperinflation with no infiltrates.

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. 

The Assignment

In your Case Study Analysis related to the scenario provided, explain the following

· The pulmonary pathophysiologic processes that result in the patient presenting these symptoms.

· Any racial/ethnic variables that may impact physiological functioning.

· How these processes interact to affect the patient.