Respiratory Inhalers

Current Inhalers for the Management of COPD and respiratory disorders

Through consultation with your Specialist Physician a pharmacological treatment plan may be developed to help manage your COPD. Currently, there are many differing inhaler/puffers used to treat COPD (see below) and it is imperative to understand how your medication affects you.

 

For a current list of available COPD medications visit the Lung Foundation Australia website at:  STEPWISE MANAGEMENT OF COPD

Stepwise Management of Stable COPD

COPD stands for ‘Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease’. It is a long-lasting disease of the lungs. If you have been diagnosed with COPD it means that you have damage to the small airways in your lungs. COPD cannot be cured or reversed, but it can be treated. The good news is that by following the steps below, you can reduce ALL your symptoms and slow down the damage being done to your lungs.

 

Step 1. Stop smoking

Step 2. Seek help from health professionals

Step 3. Boost your health

Step 4. Protect against flare-ups (exacerbations)

Step 5. Join a support group

 

For more information regarding the Stepwise Management of COPD visit the Lung Foundation Australia website at: STEPWISE MANAGEMENT

 

The Copd X Plan

The COPD-X Plan is the Australian and New Zealand online management guidelines for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.  It has been developed jointly by The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Lung Foundation.  It is written as a decision support aid primarily for general practitioners and other primary health care clinicians managing people with established COPD. It is regularly updated as new evidence is published.

 

The guidelines aim to:

 

  • effect changes in clinical practice based on sound evidence; and
  • shift the emphasis from a predominant reliance on pharmacological treatment of COPD to a range of interven­tions which include patient education, self-management of exacerbations and pulmonary rehabilitation.

 

The key recommendations are summarised in the “COPDX Plan”:

 

C: Confirm diagnosis

 

O: Optimise function

 

P: Prevent deterioration

 

D: Develop support network and self-management plan

 

X: Manage eXacerbations

 

The COPD-X Plan is endorsed by the following professional bodies:

 

  • The Royal Australasian College of Physicians
  • Royal College of Nursing
  • Australian Physiotherapy Association
  • Australian Asthma and Respiratory Educators Association
  • The Asthma Foundation of New Zealand

This very useful resource contains the complete COPD-X Guidelines and is fully searchable.

 

Click here to visit the COPD-X website.

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