Certified Medical Assistant Practice Exam

If a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experiences difficulty breathing, what term best describes this symptom?

1. Ischemia

2. Tachypnea

3. Dyspnea

4. Epistaxis

The correct answer is: Dyspnea

The term that best describes the difficulty breathing experienced by a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is dyspnea. Dyspnea refers specifically to the sensation of shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, which is a common and distressing symptom in patients with respiratory conditions like COPD. This condition is characterized by progressive airflow limitation and can lead to insufficient oxygen exchange, making individuals feel breathless. In contrast, ischemia refers to a lack of blood flow to a specific area of the body, which does not specifically relate to breathing difficulties. Tachypnea denotes an abnormally rapid breathing rate and does not necessarily imply that the individual is experiencing difficulty; rather, it denotes the rate of respiration. Lastly, epistaxis is the medical term for a nosebleed and has no relation to breathing difficulties whatsoever. Each of these terms relates to different medical conditions and symptoms, but dyspnea is the most accurate descriptor for difficulty in breathing experienced by patients with respiratory diseases like COPD.