OVERVIEW
Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are collectively referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. This is a chronic condition, usually attributed to smoking, that causes shortness of breath and coughing, leading to a limitation in daily activities such as walking.
When breathing becomes difficult for a person with COPD, they may experience an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). During an acute exacerbation, breathing becomes difficult due to the progressive narrowing of the airways and the secretion of large amounts of mucus, which is often thicker than normal.
It can be triggered by infection with bacteria or viruses, or by environmental pollutants. Infections typically cause 75% or more of exacerbations; Bacteria are found in about 25% of cases, viruses in another 25%, and both viruses and bacteria in another 25%. However, airway inflammation increases during the exacerbation, resulting in increased hyperinflation, decreased expiratory airflow, and decreased gas exchange.
Exacerbations can be classified as mild, moderate and severe. As COPD progresses, exacerbations tend to occur more frequently, averaging about three episodes per year.
SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS
COPD is related to an exaggerated frequency and severity of coughing, among worsening of chest congestion and discomfort. Also, increased shortness of breath is additionally typical, and wheezing may also occur.
People who experience an acute exacerbation caused by an infection might feel fatigue and develop fever and chills as their body becomes weak. However, doctors may recommend a chest X-ray to make positive that pneumonia isn’t the reason behind these symptoms.
Most importantly, blood within the sputum can also indicate different medical conditions and may be reported to your doctor immediately. Also, an abrupt worsening in COPD symptoms can become a cause of airways rupture in the lungs, which later may cause a spontaneous pneumothorax.
COMMON CAUSES
Acute exacerbations of COPD are more likely to occur as a person’s COPD worsens. Additional narrowing of the airways in people with COPD, leading to an acute attack or exacerbation, can be caused by
- allergens (eg, pollen, wood or cigarette smoke, pollution)
- toxins (various chemicals)
- acute viral or bacterial infections
- Air pollution
- failing to follow a drug therapy program (like improper use of an inhaler)
Bacterial infections are usually associated with mucus that turns yellow or greenish in color and is usually much thicker than normal. However, colored mucus does not necessarily mean a person has a bacterial infection.
When a person gets severe chronic lung disease due to smoking, it can take something as small as a chest cold to make their breathing difficult enough to require hospitalization.
Most importantly, in one-third of all COPD exacerbation cases, the cause cannot be identified. But now you can get yourself checked easily and get free medication delivery and free prescription delivery at your home.
DIAGNOSES
An acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) usually occurs when the frequency and severity of coughing increases along with increased sputum production or dyspnea.
The challenge is to diagnose the cause of AECB in order to determine the best treatment. Therefore, it is important that the person with AECB provides their doctor with a detailed description of the circumstances that may have led to the particular episode.
For instance, if there has been any exposure to inhaled irritants like secondhand smoke. It is also important to tell your doctor about anything that happened to you in the last few days such as symptoms you’ve been experiencing (fever, chills, etc.) because you might need immediate care.
Your doctor will examine your AECB with help of a chest x-ray or sputum culture. Also, treatment is often started before test results confirm the condition. You can get your free online prescription and free online medication delivery.
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION
Prevention of acute exacerbations for a person with COPD includes:
- Cessing smoking and avoiding exposure to dust, secondhand smoke, and other inhaled irritants
- Vaccination for influenza (annual) and pneumonia (single or multiple injections as recommended by physician)
- Regular exercise, taking proper rest (neither more nor less) and healthy eating as discussed with healthcare professionals
- Avoiding people who are currently suffering from a contagious respiratory illness such as a cold or flu
- Maintaining good hydration and humidification of the home to reduce the problem of thick sputum and chest congestion
Treatment of AECOPD might include:
- Inhaled bronchodilators: Treatment with bronchodilators like salbutamol and ipratropium* open up the airlines within the lungs.
- Antibiotics: This remedy is employed if a bacterial infection is the suspected cause. Antibiotics won’t facilitate infections ensuing from viruses. viral infections can normally depart on their own with the help of correct relaxation and care. However, completely different medicative medicines are often used in controlling symptoms.
“Simple” COPD is normally wherein someone sixty-five years or much less, has fewer than 4 exacerbations in step with year, has minimum or slight impairment in respiration characteristic and no comorbid disease.
In sufferers with “simple” COPD, remedy must be focused toward Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and probable pathogens of unusual pneumonia. The first-line remedy is a beta-lactam antibiotic which includes amoxicillin. The preference will rely upon resistance patterns. In sufferers with penicillin allergy, doxycycline or trimethoprim are preferred.
More complex bronchitis can be while the affected person is extra than sixty-five years old, has 4 or extra exacerbations in step with year, has an FEV1/FVC ratio of much less than 50% on spirometry, has did not reply to preceding antibiotic remedy, and/or has comorbidity. In those cases, remedy must be geared toward Gram-bad microorganism and the opportunity of excessive antibiotic resistance must be considered.
Sputum tradition outcomes are of awesome fee in figuring out antibiotic resistance. First-line remedy is cefuroxime or co-amoxiclav. Third-line remedy, in addition to remedy in penicillin-allergic sufferers, is a fluoroquinolone which includes ciprofloxacin. An agent lively in opposition to Streptococcus pneumoniae might also additionally should be added.
- Corticosteroids: Oral anti-inflammatory drug reduces inflammation in the airlines. It is commonly used for a short period of time, once an acute exacerbation occurs.
- Oxygen therapy: A doctor can advise this in case your blood oxygen degree becomes extremely low. However, some people with intense COPD need oxygen on an in progress basis. moveable “domestic oxygen therapy” allows sufferers to stay mobile while receiving this therapy.
- Mechanical Ventilation: Severe exacerbations can require hospital care in which remedies including oxygen and mechanical air flow can be required. Mechanical ventilation may be invasive (endotracheal intubation) or non-invasive (type of ventilation which includes non-stop positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP).
- Theophylline is generally not recommended for the treatment.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Any person recognized with chronic bronchitis needs to use remedies/remedy or “care plan” in the region for that time when an acute exacerbation hits suddenly. Most importantly, a physician and the affected person need to discuss and then agree on which symptoms the doctor will have to look at (for example: shortness of breath, extrude in individual or quantity of mucus) before the individual starts self-remedy or rely on any type of medication. Moreover, such plans allow a person to take proper care while using remedy and begin taking prevention from that moment only so that symptoms are kept under control. Also, try to visit the doctor as soon as possible whenever you feel that there is something off than usual when it comes to health.
