A Cough and Related Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiologic Processes

A 55-year-old high school teacher begins experiencing a cough after a parent-teacher conference. Initially, it was a mild cough; he had a history of asthma. Examine the case study and analyze the symptoms presented.

He began experiencing chest pain, unlike the tightness that he experienced with his asthma. He began to sweat profusely and experience light-headedness and difficulty breathing. The paramedic found the man unconscious. His EKG revealed ST segment elevation in the anterior leads (V3 and V4), his pulse was shallow, and his respirations were ten breaths/min. Upon arrival at the ER, a troponin level was 13 ng/l, and his CK level was 265 U/L. Explain the cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary pathophysiologic processes that result in the patient presenting these symptoms, any racial or ethnic variables that may impact physiological functioning, as well as how these processes interact and affect the patient.