NURS 6501: MIDTERM EXAM: Please contact Assignment Samurai for help with NURS 6501: Midterm Exam or any other assignment. Email: assignmentsamurai@gmail.com   A middle-aged construction worker has spent the last 25 years using a jackhammer to cut up sidewalks but has consistently refused to wear protective equipment. He now presents with worsening shortness of breath, and a chest X-ray reveals diffuse fibrosis in his lung tissue. What type of lung disease would be anticipated by pulmonary function testing (PFT) in this case? Group of answer choices

• Restrictive lung disease
• Asthma-like lung disease
• Obstructive lung disease
• No lung disease would be detectable by PFT.

  The correct answer is Restrictive lung disease. Explanation: The patient's history of chronic exposure to inhaled particles (such as silica or asbestos from jackhammer use) and the development of diffuse fibrosis in the lung tissue suggest that he may have occupational lung disease, possibly pneumoconiosis (a type of restrictive lung disease). Silicosis, asbestosis, and other forms of interstitial lung disease are characterized by progressive lung fibrosis that restricts lung expansion. In restrictive lung disease, the primary issue is a reduction in lung compliance, meaning the lungs are stiff and less able to expand fully during inhalation. This leads to reduced lung volumes, specifically total lung capacity (TLC), forced vital capacity (FVC), and residual volume (RV). Why the other options are less likely:

• Asthma-like lung disease: Asthma is primarily an obstructive lung disease that involves airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction, leading to wheezing, coughing, and difficulty exhaling. This patient's symptoms and findings (fibrosis and occupational exposure) do not align with asthma-like features.
• Obstructive lung disease: Obstructive lung diseases (e.g., COPD, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema) involve airflow limitation and difficulty exhaling, typically with increased lung volumes such as residual volume and functional residual capacity (FRC). However, the primary feature in this case is lung fibrosis (a hallmark of restrictive disease), not the airflow obstruction seen in obstructive diseases.
• No lung disease would be detectable by PFT: Given the patient's worsening shortness of breath and chest X-ray findings of fibrosis, lung disease would clearly be detectable on pulmonary function tests, which would show restrictive patterns (reduced lung volumes).

Conclusion: In this patient with a history of long-term occupational exposure to harmful inhalants and findings of lung fibrosis, restrictive lung disease would be expected on pulmonary function testing.