Recommendations for Management of COPD

Highlights for primary care clinicians include spirometric classification of four stages of COPD and recommendations for introducing medications according to disease stage.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) was launched 10 years ago — in collaboration with the NIH and the World Health Organization — to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to improve prevention and treatment of COPD. GOLD recommendations for management of COPD, previously published in 2001, have now been updated.

The report includes discussions of pathogenesis, epidemiology, and prevention of COPD, but primary care clinicians may be especially interested in:

Spirometric classification of four stages of COPD
Recommendations for introduction of bronchodilators and inhaled steroids according to COPD stage
Discussion of the evidence supporting or not supporting other interventions sometimes…

Reviewing Author

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Allan S. Brett, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose