Treatment of acute exacerbation of COPD

The treatment of COPD is divided into a stable phase as well as an acute exacerbation phase. The stable phase is grouped by pulmonary function status, patients’ clinical symptoms, and risk of acute exacerbation, and treatment regimens such as short-acting bronchodilators, long-acting bronchodilators, and long-acting bronchodilators combined with inhaled hormones are adopted according to the different conditions of groups A, B, C, and D. In the acute exacerbation phase, the infection is often combined with infectious factors. Depending on the severity of the disease, home treatment, community treatment or hospitalization is chosen, with antibiotics to control infection, inhalation of short-acting bronchodilators to release airway spasm, nebulization or static hormone drip to control airway inflammation, the use of sputum-forming drugs to promote sputum excretion and enhance nutrition. For severe respiratory failure, non-invasive ventilator therapy is preferred, and if necessary, invasive ventilation is required. The specific medication should be combined with the clinical situation and guided by the doctor.