Management of COPD

Question 1

If a smoker has COPD what is the management method?

Answer 1

Encourage them to stop smoking

Question 2

What are the methods of disease management?

Answer 2

Using inhalers to relieve breathlessness

Getting the flu vaccine

Question 3

What are the different types of inhalers?

Answer 3

Short acting bronchodilators
Long acting bronchodilators (LAMA/LABA)
High dose inhaled corticosteroids

Question 4

How should inhalers be prescribed?

Answer 4

Start with short acting, then long acting one group, then other group, then steroids

Question 5

What can pulmonary rehabilitation do?

Answer 5

Prevent exacerbation

Question 6

What does pulmonary rehabilitation include?

Answer 6

6 week package of seeing psychologist, dietician, nurse and having a fitness plan, maintenance strategies and ways of getting over the diagnosis every week

Question 7

What can be done for the management of hypoxic COPD patients?

Answer 7

Long term oxygen therapy

Question 8

What is AECOPD?

Answer 8

Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Question 9

What is the outpatient management for AECOPD?

Answer 9

Short acting bronchodilators
Steroids
Antibiotics - if evidence of infection

Question 10

Name some very common short acting bronchodilators

Answer 10

Salbutamol

Ipratropium

Question 11

If a patient cannot use an inhaler what can be used instead to administer bronchodilators?

Answer 11

A nebuliser

Question 12

For what reasons can an AECOPD patient be admitted to hospital?

Answer 12

Tachypnoea
Low oxygen saturation
Hypotension

Question 13

What is the ward based management for AECOPD?

Answer 13

Oxygen
Nebuliser bronchodilators
Oral/IV corticosteroids
Oral/IV Antibiotics

Question 14

What has to be checked when an AECOPD patient is admitted to hospital?

Answer 14

The patient has to be assessed for evidence of respiratory failure

Question 15

What is done is a patient is in respiratory failure?

Answer 15

Non-invasive ventilation