Copd

[NurseAmandaV]

i need some clarification here, i am currently an LPN taking RN transition classes. my AP 2 teacher is telling us that we don't breathe b/c we need oxygen, we breathe b/c we need to get rid of CO2. he goes on to say that COPD patients respiratory drive relies on getting oxygen. i specifically remember learning in LPN school that we breathe b/c we need oxygen, and that COPD respiratory drives are CO2 dependent, thus, most COPD pts aren't on more than 2L of O2....b/c it can knock out their respiratory drive, right? can someone clarify? it might help you to know that my AP teacher has been wrong on multiple occasions about certain things, but not usually on something this specific. he's a chiropractor and pretty much a "know it all". is he correct? if so i was taught WRONG in LPN school.... and i went to a school with a really great reputation, i hope i haven't been wrong this whole time!!!

[Rah8978]

I just joined Nurse.com today and I have been reading several threads to see what kind of topics are on here and the activity they get. I was really excited to start with because I thought this could be a great way to share information. I am currently in a BSN program and recently information was presented similar to your question here and I am also a little confused regarding the physiology in question. I see that your original post was 11/14/12 and there have not been any posts with help, This is a little discouraging to me. Have you ever benefited from this forum? Or am I just wasting my time?