Question

A 55-year-old man with emphysema (a type of chronic lung disease) who has smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 40 years is hospitalized for acute onset of cough productive of bloody sputum (sputum=secretions from deep in the lungs). After a few days of testing and treatment, the patient's nurse reads a physician's note on the chart: "I have told the patient that the etiologies of his hemoptysis are: 1) exacerbation of his chronic emphysema and 2) the new diagnosis of lung cancer. The onsets of both were contributed to by his longstanding smoking."

Based on all the information you have on the patient, which statement is most likely correct?
a. The patient has a poor prognosis because of the comorbidities of lung cancer and cigarette smoking.
b. Lung cancer was a sequela of the bloody sputum.
c. A precipitating factor for the acute hospitalization was overexertion when the patient started an exercise class.
d. Heavy cigarette smoking was a risk factor in the patient's developing emphysema and lung cancer.

Answer 1

The most likely correct statement regarding the patient is that heavy cigarette smoking was a risk factor in his developing emphysema and lung cancer, as long-term exposure to tobacco smoke is known to cause significant lung damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves assessing which statement is most likely correct regarding a 55-year-old man with emphysema and lung cancer, who has a smoking history of 2 packs per day for 40 years and has been hospitalized due to coughing up bloody sputum. The correct statement based on the information provided is option d, which indicates that heavy cigarette smoking was a risk factor in the patient's developing emphysema and lung cancer. Long-term exposure to cigarette smoke has been shown to damage the lung tissues by reducing the elasticity of alveoli, leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and predisposing smokers to lung cancer.