The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with COPD, who is having difficulty breathing. Which actions can the nurse take to provide support? Select all that apply

B. Bronchodilators are medications commonly used to relieve bronchospasm and improve airflow in patients with COPD. They work by relaxing the muscles around the airways, making it easier to breathe. Providing bronchodilators as prescribed can help alleviate difficulty breathing and improve the patient's respiratory function.
D. Smoking cessation is essential for patients with COPD as smoking is the leading cause of the disease and can exacerbate respiratory symptoms. Quitting smoking can slow the progression of COPD, reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations, and improve overall lung function.
E. Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory medications commonly used to reduce airway inflammation and control exacerbations in patients with COPD. They can help improve breathing and reduce the severity of respiratory symptoms during acute exacerbations.
A. Offering small frequent meals can help reduce the sensation of fullness and bloating, which can sometimes occur in patients with COPD due to increased abdominal pressure from compromised respiratory function. However, this is not specific to COPD.
C. Weaning from oxygen should be done cautiously and under the guidance of healthcare providers but not in the state of difficulty in breathing. Oxygen therapy is often necessary for patients with COPD who experience difficulty breathing, especially during acute exacerbations. Therefore, weaning from oxygen may be appropriate once the patient's respiratory status stabilizes and oxygen saturation levels improve.

B. Morning is considered the ideal time for collecting a sputum specimen. Overnight, mucus accumulates in the respiratory tract because the patient is less active and not clearing their throat or coughing as much. This means that the mucus is more concentrated and has had time to build up, providing a more substantial and representative sample of what is in the lungs.
A. Collecting a sputum specimen at bedtime is generally not ideal. By the end of the day, the patient’s respiratory tract might have cleared some of the accumulated mucus naturally through coughing or other activities.
C. Collecting a sputum specimen after meals is not recommended. Eating can introduce food particles and bacteria from the mouth into the sputum, contaminating the sample.
D. Starting antibiotics before collecting a sputum specimen can alter the bacterial flora present in the respiratory tract. This can lead to a false-negative result or an inaccurate representation of the pathogens causing the infection.