Patient of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: “Hi Jill,” said Grandma as she opened up the door. “Come on in, Grandpa is waiting for us at the kitchen table.” Jillian, a 20-year-old nursing student had come over to play cards with her grandparents, a weekly Sunday night tradition. “Hi Pop!” she said cheerfully as she sat down next to her grandpa at the dinner table. “How has your week been?” “Well,” Grandpa began, “I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on Friday.” He paused for a moment, then added good-naturedly, “You’re in nursing school, so tell me if you know what that means.” Jillian was the oldest granddaughter, and her grandfather had always enjoyed taking opportunities to help her learn. He bought her a subsсrіption to National Geographic when she was only five, before she could even read, so she could look through the pictures of far off interesting places. Jillian recognized her grandfather’s question as one more opportunity he had taken to encourage her in learning. “Uh . . . it means that the tissues in your lungs that are used for gas exchange are being replaced with scar tissue, and the doctors aren’t sure why. Grandpa,” she asked, her voice beginning to quiver, “what is the prognosis?” “The doctor gave me 18 to 24 months to live and I plan to enjoy every second of it,” was his reply. “Jillian, you know I spent my career as a structural engineer designing buildings and bridges. I always designed with the function in mind: form fits function, so to speak. Tell me how the structure of my lungs is changing, and how this will affect the ability of my lungs to function.” Questions: The alveoli in the lungs where gas exchange occurs are composed of a simple squamous epithelium. What is the structure of this tissue type, and how does its structure make gas exchange possible? Explain your answer. How does idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis change the structure of the lungs, and how will this affect gas exchange? Explain your answer. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive disease. Predict what will happen to Grandpa’s blood pO2 and pCO2 as the condition worsens. Explain your answer.
