Vnitr Lek 2004, 50(9):677-681

[Treatment principle of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation].

J Musil: Pneumologická klinika 2. lékarské fakulty UK a FN Motol, Praha.

COPD is often accompanied with acute symptoms exacerbations. Patients in Ist stage: slide grade of COPD and IInd stage: middle grade of COPD suffer exacerbations accompanied with increased dyspnoea often together with increased cough and increased production of sputum. Patients in IIIrd stage (serious) and IVth stage (very serious) experience during exacerbations development of respiration insufficiency or its worsening and thus are usually treated in hospital. The most frequent causes of exacerbations are tracheobronchial tree infections and air pollution. The cause of approximately one third of serious exacerbations is not disclosed. Conditions which can resemble acute exacerbation are pneumonia, congestive heart failure, pneumothorax, pleural exudation, pulmonary embolism, and arrhythmia. Exacerbation treatment is symptomatic. Obstruction symptoms are treated with bronchodilatants and corticosteroids administration, hypoxemia with oxygen administration and signs of bacterial infection with antibiotics.