Case 1: A 68-year-old female patient with a 32-pack-year his…
Case 1: A 68-year-old female patient with a 32-pack-year history of smoking has the following spirometry results: FEV1/FVC: 54% and post-bronchodilator FEV1: 65% of predicted. She quit smoking five years ago and has had no exacerbations so far. However, her mMRC score is 3. Her physical exam reveals a woman who looks much older than her years. She is using her accessory muscles while at rest. Her pulse oximeter (SpO2) shows 92%. The patient’s only medication is a short-acting beta-adrenergic bronchodilator, which she says she needs several times daily.