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The patient is presenting with a persistent cough and is expectorating green sputum leading to the diagnosis of acute bronchitis. McCance & Huether (2019) define acute bronchitis as an inflammation or infection of the bronchi or airway caused by a virus. The patient is coughing as a result of a protective reflex from the vagus nerve. Coughing allows the individual to expectorate her secretions from the lower airways (McCance & Huether, 2019). The feeling of gagging and dry heaves is caused by the patient’s deep cough with the goal of expectorating the tenacious, thick sputum. Viral infections, allergens, or pollutants might trigger an inflammatory response in the bronchi resulting in acute bronchitis. When the bronchial wall is inflamed, mucosal thickening and epithelial-cell desquamation occur (Smith et al., 2020). The inflammation and infection on the bronchi create secretions causing irritation leading to a strong cough.
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