Rescue packs for COPD: problem or panacea?
Bostock, Beverley
Bostock, Beverley
Glos Author
Date
2022-05-09
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Subject
Type
Journal Article
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Abstract
Exacerbations of COPD require additional acute treatment. Beverley Bostock discusses the rationale for offering rescue packs as part of patient self-management
For many people who have been diagnosed with COPD, there is a risk of experiencing an exacerbation of their symptoms which will require additional acute treatment to supplement their usual therapy. Exacerbations of COPD are associated with reduced quality of life, loss of lung function and a higher risk of dying. People living with COPD may be advised to keep a ‘rescue pack’ of oral corticosteroids and antibiotics to start if they develop symptoms of an exacerbation. Patient education should include advice on how to recognise exacerbations and when and how to treat them, with information about the effects and side-effects of any medication.
Citation
Bostock, B. (2022). Rescue packs for COPD: Problem or panacea? Practice Nursing, 33(5), 182–185. https://doi.org/10.12968/pnur.2022.33.5.182