Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy: Difference between revisions
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
Treatment of [[COPD]] requires a careful and thorough evaluation by a physician. The most important aspect of treatment is avoiding tobacco smoke and removing other air pollutants from the patient’s home or workplace. Symptoms such as coughing or wheezing can be treated with medication. Respiratory infections should be treated with antibiotics, if appropriate. Patients who have low blood oxygen levels in their blood are often given supplemental oxygen. | |||
==Medical therapy== | ==Medical therapy== | ||
Revision as of 14:32, 19 March 2012
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Microchapters |
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Differentiating Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from other Diseases |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy |
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FDA on Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy |
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CDC on Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy |
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy in the news |
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Blogs on Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy |
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medical therapy |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Philip Marcus, M.D., M.P.H. [2]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [3]
Overview
Treatment of COPD requires a careful and thorough evaluation by a physician. The most important aspect of treatment is avoiding tobacco smoke and removing other air pollutants from the patient’s home or workplace. Symptoms such as coughing or wheezing can be treated with medication. Respiratory infections should be treated with antibiotics, if appropriate. Patients who have low blood oxygen levels in their blood are often given supplemental oxygen.
Medical therapy
- Treatment of COPD requires a careful and thorough evaluation by a physician.
- The most important aspect of treatment is avoiding tobacco smoke and removing other air pollutants from the patient’s home or workplace.
- Patients who have low blood oxygen levels in their blood are often given supplemental oxygen.
- Oral and inhaled medications are used for patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to reduce dyspnea, improve exercise tolerance, and prevent complications. Symptoms such as coughing or wheezing can be treated with bronchodilators like subcutaneous medications, beta-adrenergics, methylxanthines, and anticholinergics. They act via decreasing muscle tone in small and large airways in the lungs.
- Respiratory infections should be treated with antibiotics, if appropriate.