WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT YOUR
PATIENT’S NEXT EXACERBATION?
Just one exacerbation could change everything for your COPD patients. Click below to learn more and share with your colleagues.
MOST PATIENTS WITH COPD WILL HAVE AN EXACERBATION
Up to 77% of patients will have at least 1 exacerbation within 3 years2-4
How are COPD exacerbations defined?
COPD exacerbations can have a life-changing impact – causing disease progression and early death
DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOUR PATIENT’S NEXT EXACERBATION.
LEARN MORE NOW.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR WEBCAST WITH PROFESSOR JOHN HURST ON THE BURDEN OF COPD EXACERBATIONS
HOW CAN I IDENTIFY PATIENTS MOST AT RISK?
Exacerbations are frequently under-reported by patients and can therefore be undertreated.15
There are common risk factors that can help identify patients at risk of an exacerbation, including:
Select an icon to learn more
EXACERBATIONS
FUNCTION
INFLAMMATION
BURDEN
What can you do to help prevent exacerbations?
It can be challenging for patients to know how to manage their COPD and adopt sustainable self-management skills. All patients should be given the tools and support to:
- Quit smoking1
- Maintain a healthy diet1
- Exercise1
- Understand the signs and symptoms of their disease1
In addition, patients with a high symptom burden or risk of exacerbation should be encouraged to take part in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme.1
Your patients may not pro-actively communicate changes to their symptoms during check-ups. New or worsening symptoms, and moderate or severe exacerbations, may necessitate a change in treatment.1 Conduct regular medication reviews to ensure patients are on the most appropriate therapy for them.
Many patients do not understand what COPD is, and more than half of patients are not familiar with words like “exacerbation”.16 When discussing COPD with your patients, adopting a shared language and using terms such as “attack” or “flare-up” can help patients to understand what has happened to them.
Talk to your patients about the importance of reporting exacerbations.
You can help patients identify and report their COPD exacerbations by downloading the Flare-up Checklist here.
FLARE-UP CHECKLIST
The flare-up checklist is a tool to help patients identify if they might have had an exacerbation in the past 12 months, or if their symptoms might be worsening.
- The checklist is based on the GOLD criteria for diagnosing the severity of COPD exacerbations1
On completion, patients are encouraged to discuss their results with their healthcare professional for further guidance.
DOWNLOAD THE FLARE-UP CHECKLIST
Click here to revisit the GOLD definitions of Mild, Moderate and Severe COPD exacerbations.
PUT PREVENTION OF EXACERBATION AND EARLY DEATH AT THE CENTRE OF COPD MANAGEMENT
You have selected a link that will take you to a site maintained by a third party who is solely responsible for its contents.
AstraZeneca provides this link as a service to website visitors. AstraZeneca is not responsible for the privacy policy of any third party websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
Click ‘cancel’ to return to AstraZeneca’s site or ‘continue’ to proceed.
A MESSAGE FROM ASTRAZENECA FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
We are living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 outbreak will have a lasting impact on the way we live and how we think about our health, for generations to come.
AstraZeneca stands in solidarity with the global respiratory community, both in the fight against COVID-19 and in ensuring patients get the accurate information they need to effectively manage their condition during this period.
Please find information below that directs you to the current clinical guidance on managing respiratory conditions, and information on COVID-19 and the potential impact for people living with chronic respiratory diseases.
SOURCES FOR EXPERT GUIDANCE ON MANAGING COPD DURING COVID-19
Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease - GOLD COVID19 Guidance
World Health Organization (WHO) - Information about the coronavirus
European Respiratory Society (ERS) - COVID-19 resource centre
Loading......
A COPD exacerbation is defined as ‘an event characterised by dyspnoea and/or cough and sputum that worsens in <14 days’.
A COPD exacerbation can be classified as:
Mild:
Dyspnoea (VAS <5), respiratory rate (<24 breaths/min), heart rate (<95 BPM), SpO2 (resting ≥92% breathing ambient air and ≤3% change) and serum CRP (<10 mg/L)1
Moderate:
Worsening of at least three of the five variables measured for a mild exacerbation1
Severe:
Same as a moderate exacerbation plus arterial blood gas values indicate hypercapnia and acidosis1
A history of exacerbations is the strongest predictor of future exacerbation risk. The risk of re-hospitalisation or death also increases substantially after a first severe COPD exacerbation, and with each subsequent event. 9,10
Poor lung function (i.e. FEV1) is associated with a greater risk of exacerbations. Patients with a higher FEV1 (GOLD Stage 1) may lose more lung function following an exacerbation than patients with more severe COPD.11
In patients with a history of exacerbations, a higher blood eosinophil count predicts an increased risk of future exacerbations.12
Patients with the highest symptom burden (i.e. a SGRQ score ≥60) have a 40% increase in risk of exacerbation and are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital.13
Patients with comorbidities such as lung cancer, heart failure, dyspepsia and asthma are at greater risk of experiencing frequent exacerbations.14