Pharmacotherapy of COPD
Approach to Therapy | Dyspnea without exacerbations | Exacerbations with or without dyspnea |
|---|---|---|
Initial therapy* | LABA or LAMA | LABA or LAMA |
Initial escalation of therapy | LABA + LAMA | LABA + LAMA or LABA + LAMA + ICS† |
Subsequent approach to therapy for persistent symptoms | Consider changing inhaler device or medication Implement or escalate non-pharmacological treatments Evaluation for other causes of dyspnea | |
* Rescue short-acting bronchodilators should be prescribed to all patients for immediate symptom relief. | ||
† ICS is most effective in patients with eosinophilia ≥ 150/mcL (≥ 0.15 × 109/L). May need to de-escalate ICS if the patient develops pneumonia or does not respond to treatment. In patients with eosinophilia ≥ 300 mcL (≥ 0.30 × 109/L), de-escalation is more likely to cause an exacerbation. | ||
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FEV1 = The volume of air forcefully expired during the first second after taking a full breath; LABA = long-acting beta agonist; LAMA = long-acting antimuscarinic antagonist; ICS = inhaled corticosteroid; PDE4 = phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor. | ||
Adapted from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD): Global Strategy for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of COPD: 2024 report. Available at http://www.goldcopd.org. | ||