Which signs and symptoms should the nurse expect to find in the following?

When a nurse is assessing a patient for lung transplant there are certain features that indicate COPD instantly. Some of these features include the presence of a barrel chest. These patients also have dyspnea on exertion that is likely to be accompanied with thick clubbed fingers and toes.

These are typical COPD finding present in patients with chronic disease of many years. The patient also often complain of increased breathing rate in an attempt to correct their respiratory acidosis. These patients have a short inspiratory phase and a very long inspiratory phase that results in the characteristic barrel chest of the patient.