PANCE Exam Practice Questions: Quiz 238

A 66-year-old male presents with productive cough and shortness of breath. While he has had a cough for “years,” he notes that his shortness of breath is worsening, particularly when he lifts things above his head. He is able to tolerate walking on a treadmill if he uses the armrests. He has had four respiratory infections in the past 6 months. He has smoked one to two packs of cigarettes per day since the age of 16; he works in a cotton textile mill and lives in a large urban area. Exam reveals an overweight gentleman with nicotine-stained fingernails. He is using his accessory muscles of respiration; there is an expiratory wheeze diffusely over the chest. Which of the following contributed most in the pathogenesis of this condition?
- A. air pollution
- B. cigarette smoking
- C. occupational exposure
- D. respiratory infections

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