Question 1: Would this patient benefit from home oxygen therapy? This patient would not currently qualify for long-term home oxygen therapy since guidelines recommend initiation when PaO2 ≤ 55 mmHg or SaO2 ≤ 88% at rest (Shebl, Modi, & Cates, 2025). With a PaO2 of 65 mmHg, PaCO2 of 54 mmHg, and SaO2 of 90%, the patient has moderate hypoxemia but does not yet meet the threshold for supplemental oxygen (Shebl, Modi, & Cates, 2025). Need Assignment Help?
Question 2: Is there any reason to believe that an infection caused this patient's relapse of COPD? Yes, there is reason to believe an infection contributed to this patient's COPD exacerbation. Exacerbations are most often triggered by respiratory infections, and clinical features such as fever, increased cough, and changes in sputum production suggest an infectious cause in this case (Carlin, 2023).
Question 3: Is the patient in this case study alpha-1-antitrypsin deficient? There is no evidence that this patient has alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. AAT deficiency usually presents as early-onset emphysema in younger, non-smoking patients or those with a strong genetic predisposition (Dasí, 2024). Although this patient does have a family history of COPD, his disease is more strongly linked to modifiable factors such as chronic smoking and alcohol use rather than an inherited deficiency (Dasí, 2024).