Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Biography

Biography: Juan Eduardo Keymer R

Abstract

COPD is a preventable and treatable disease with some significant extrapulmonary effects that may contribute to the severity in individual patients. Its pulmonary component is characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. The airflow limitation is usually progressive and associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gases. Today it is the 4th leading cause of death in the US and the 9th in Chile, meaning 10% of adult patient hospitalization. The European Union has estimated an expenditure 38.6 billion euros in pac with COPD. COPD can be classified as mild, moderate, severe and very severe. respiratory mechanics is altered due to an increase in lung volume (CRF), with flattening of the diaphragm and loss apposition area of ​​the diaphragm. This is because increase in inflammatory airways with small accumulation of inflammatory cells and edema of mucous plugs in walls bronchioles. The leading cause of hospitalization of these patients is the exacerbation of COPD, which is an event characterized by a change in breathlessness, cough and / or expectoration baseline patient beyond the daily variability, enough to justify a change in treatment . Patients experiencing frequent exacerbations of COPD have a higher mortality, reduced exercise capacity and muscle atrophy. The etiology of exacerbations causes an increase in small airway inflammation, aggravations added co-morbidity and airway damage. The clinical management of exacerbations is mainly to: bronchodilators, corticosteroids, antibiotics, oxygen therapy strategies bronchial hygiene and noninvasive mechanical ventilation. You are the last two are the ones that will develop, showing how to prevent and treat complications of prolonged rest and the benefits of VNI.