Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease copd essay

Various classes of medications are used to manage COPD in patients. The medication choice is dependent on the patient’s individual needs, the condition and extent of the symptoms of COPD. COPD medications work through either; opening the airways, reducing airway inflammation or by mitigating bacterial infections. Bronchodilators is one class of the medications that are useful in the management of COPD. Bronchodilators are medications that help in widening the airways hence enabling breathing and reducing the number of excercerbations that occur in COPD. Patients with a diagnosis of COPD have increased risk of infections. Infections in COPD increase the severity of the COPD exacerbation and symptoms lowering patient’s quality of life. Antibiotics are administered and may either be prophylactic or administered during exacerbations (Vanfleteren, Spruit, Wouters & Franssen, 2016).