Pharmacologic treatment of COPD

Preview

There are many pharmacologic agents available to relieve the wide variety of symptoms caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Choosing an agent for first-line therapy and deciding which adjunctive treatments are appropriate for a given patient can be challenging. Dr Nesse describes the mechanisms of action, uses, and side effects of the medications commonly used to treat COPD and discusses how to combine them to provide cost-effective, rational treatment for stable patients.