Læknablaðið - 01.07.2015, Page 22

362 LÆKNAblaðið 2015/101
ENgLISH SUMMArY
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is common and is associated
with high morbidity and mortality. It leads to huge costs in the health
care system. one of the resons is acute exacerbations that lead to
hospital admissions, increased medication use and other costly
operations. They can also lead to death. In this review we will discuss
the definition of acute exacerbation, causes and differential diagnosis.
Treatment will be discussed and ways to avoid repeated exacerbations.
Among ways to prevent acute exacerbations is drug treatment such
as inhaled long-acting bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids and
combination treatment. In selected cases antibiotics and antioxidants
can be helpful. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations are important
in addition to pulmonary rehabiliation. It is important to evaluate the role
of co-morbidities and treat those diseases also. Examples of comorbidi-
tes are coronary artery disease and heart failure but also anxiety and
depression.
acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – review
Gunnar Guðmundsson1
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, National University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland
key words: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute exacerbation, comorbidites, causes, treatment, prevention
Correspondence: Gunnar Guðmundsson, ggudmund@landspitali.is
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