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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by a persistent airflow limitation in the respiratory airways, that is usually progressive and associated with chronic bronchial inflammation.
COPD
With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD), your patient may be suffered from shortage of breath, fatigue & dizziness when doing exercise or walking upstairs. It is accompanied by chronic coughing and sputum production. Tobacco smoke is the major factor of COPD (1-2-5), although indoor and outdoor air pollution and exposure to pollutants in the workplace are also risk factors.
210 M |
People affected by COPD around the world |
Globally |
It is estimated that about 3 million deaths were caused by the disease in 2015 (that is, 5% of all deaths globally in that year) |
COPD is expected to become the third leading cause by the year 2030
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is not one single disease but an umbrella term used to describe chronic lung diseases that cause limitations in lung airflow. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a number of risk factors contribute to individuals developing COPD, which include tobacco smoking, indoor and outdoor air pollution as well as being exposed to occupational dust and chemicals. The disease represents a major health concern for developing countries and is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, and is expected to become the third leading cause by the year 2030.
What is Oxygen Therapy?
By providing a high concentration of oxygen through an oxygen source (e.g. oxygen concentrator) to the patient with a cannula to improve their blood oxygen saturation (SpO2).
Benefits of Long-Term Oxygen Therapy (LTOT)
Clinical studies* have shown that Long-Term Oxygen Therapy can increases the oxygen in blood and provide a range of benefits that include(1-2):
- Improving life expectancy
- Decreasing hospitalization
- Improving the quality of life
- Feeling less tired and less short of breath
- Increasing the ability to move about and to keep a social life
- Increasing sleep and the quality of it
- Improving the heart function
References:
- Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for the diagnosis management and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Updated 2014; available at http://www.goldcopd.org/uploads/users/files/GOLD_Report_2014_Oct30.pdf
- ERS. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in: European lung white book. available at http://www.erswhitebook.org/chapters/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease
- http://www.who.int/gard/publications/chronic_respiratory_diseases.pdf
- http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/
- WHO, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Fact sheet N°315, January 2015. Available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs315/fr/; consulted on 05/11/2014.
- Köhnlein T, Windisch W, Köhler D ans al. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation for the treatment of severe stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective, multicentre, randomised, controlled clinical trial. Lancet Respir Med 2014 ;2(9) :698-705. Available at <DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(14)70153-5>