I am new here and my dad who is 67 years old have been diagnosed with COPD with cor pulmonale.
Needless to say this is all very new to me and I have been trying to get answers to so many of my questions.
I've bought a small oxymeter for him at home to check his pulse and SpO2. On most days while he is resting, he has an SpO2 of 93-96%. He tells me that he feels exhausted when he carries anything or tries to do the dishes. The doctor has scheduled for a CT Lung Scan in June and Spirometry in July for him.
He was admitted for SOB and first diagnosed early May 2019 and was discharged with an inhaler which he needs to pump and inhale three times a day. I was informed that it is prescribed to asthma patients to open up the airways and avoid flare ups.
As he is an active person, he tried to exercise by stretching and walking up the stairs a little too much and he was again admitted on 19 May, as of now he is being cared for by the doctors and nurses of High dependency ward and is on BiPAP because his RR is a little on the high side. Yesterday, the doctor has told me that his symptoms are improving and they're going to wean him off the oxygen. When he's okay, they will transfer him to another ward and then discharge him as an outpatient before he comes back for his lung CT in June.
I am happy to know he's getting better because the past two days have been a nightmare for my siblings and I because we weren't sure if he was going to be okay. My question now is, I've asked the doctor about BiPAP and oxygen therapy, but she has responded that it is not necessary for him. But she also told me that his carbon dioxide levels are really high at 60%, which I don't really get. Was reading up on that and informed that BiPAP really helps, but since the doctor wouldn't write me a prescription, I can't and won't know how to use one without attached risks of making things worse. Also, she'd informed me that my dad most probably have an infection, which has caused the SOB and coupled with the exercise, it caused the flare up. They're administering antibiotics as well as the oxygen and BiPAP.
I would really appreciate it if any of you could give me some advice as to how I can make sure when my dad is discharged as an outpatient, to not have another flare up until the lung ct is done and I know what he needs, be it the oxygen concentrator or the BiPAP. Are there any methods at home that my mom and I can do for him or he could practice himself so he wouldn't have another episode of SOB? I've asked him to do PLB.