5th August 2019
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have amended the guidelines on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to further focus on triple therapy.
The development of the guidelines were supported through a consultation with stakeholders that took place earlier this year. Stakeholders involved in the consultation included numerous CCGs, Royal Colleges and pharmaceutical organisations, as well as NHS England and charities such as the British Thoracic Society and the Primary Care Respiratory Society.
COPD is a condition that makes breathing difficult, and according to the British Lung Foundation, there are 1.2million people in the UK with the condition and many more are still undiagnosed.
The additions to the guidelines supplement the existing recommendations, which centred on:
- Managing exacerbations of COPD in primary care and in hospital
- Diagnosing COPD using symptoms, spirometry and other tests
- Multidisciplinary management of stable COPD, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition and palliative care
- Managing stable COPD using nebulisers, oral therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation
The full guidelines can be found on the NICE website.
Further Information:
Education for Health provides education and training for healthcare professionals delivering care for those with long term conditions. Our part-time accredited courses focus on COPD, Spirometry, Asthma, Diabetes, and CVD.