Pink puffers and Blue Bloaters -COPD

#KYJ #pinkpuffers and #bluebloaters
I was teaching on COPD in Christchurch last week, and mentioned Pink Puffers and Blue Bloaters. It occurred to me that these old fashioned expressions may be jargon that not all nurses have heard.
So here goes another episode of #KnowingYourJargon
COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  (or Airways disease = COAD) is a chronic lung disease causing restriction and obstruction to the Bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli.
It is a collection of two or three diseases in one.
Emphysema where the alveoli air sacs undergo membrane degradation and alveoli septal wall disintegration.
Chronic Bronchitis which is degenerative inflammation to the larger bronchi, and chronic Asthma where there is narrowing of the smaller bronchioles.

Most people with COPD have a dominant illness.
Those with dominant Emphysema are often barrel chested, emaciated pink in colour and have reasonable sats. Their chest is often silent.  These people may be referred to as Pink Puffers, as the gas trapping they experience causes rapid shallow breathing, puffing.

Blue bloaters are usually those with chronic Bronchitis.  They are usually larger framed, obese, cyanosed and will cough frequently to clear continuous secretions from over active sputum producing cells in their bronchi and bronchioles.  They wheeze and cough.  Rattles and Rhonchi (low pitched wheezing) is common on auscultation.
They are frequently Hypoxaemic with sats below our normal 94%,  frequently hovering in the high 80s.
So there we have it. Blue bloaters with their bronchitis, and pink puffers with their emphysaema.
It's not too late to come to my Respiratory Failure seminar. Just check out our what's on page www.ect4health.com.au