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Review of Guidelines and the Literature in the Treatment of Acute Bronchospasm in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Author(s) -
Pleasants Roy A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1592/phco.26.9part2.156s
Subject(s) - medicine , copd , bronchodilator , intensive care medicine , bronchospasm , obstructive lung disease , pulmonary disease , respiratory disease , disease management , disease , lung , asthma , parkinson's disease
In 2002, an estimated 11.2 million adults in the United States had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Guidelines for the management of the disease have been published by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and the American Thoracic Society–European Respiratory Society. Several other organizations are in the process of preparing guidelines for COPD, most based on the GOLD report. The most important pharmacologic intervention in COPD is treatment with bronchodilator drugs. This intervention applies not only to stable COPD, but also to exacerbations (flares) of the disease. Prevention strategies have been developed for acute exacerbations, and management strategies include using short‐acting β 2 ‐agonists, systemic corticosteroids, and antibiotics, in both at‐home and hospital settings.