End of life care in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: in search of a good death

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an incurable, progressive illness that is the fourth commonest cause of death worldwide. Death tends to occur after a prolonged functional decline associated with uncontrolled symptoms, emotional distress and social isolation. There is increasing evidence that the end of life needs of those with advanced COPD are not being met by existing services. Many barriers hinder the provision of good end of life care in COPD, including the inherent difficulties in determining prognosis. This review provides an evidence-based approach to overcoming these barriers, summarising current evidence and highlighting areas for future research. Topics include end of life needs, symptom control, advance care planning, and service development to improve the quality of end of life care.     

Is there any treatment other than drugs to alleviate dyspnea in COPD patients?

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often limited in their activities by breathlessness. In these patients, exercise training may result in significant improvements in dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and health related quality of life (HRQoL). Further possibilities are to reduce ventilatory demand by decreasing the central respiratory drive or to lessen the perceived breathing effort by increasing respiratory muscle strength through specific respiratory muscle training. Upper limb training may also improve exercise capacity and symptoms in these patients through the modulation of dynamic hyperinflation. Ventilatory assistance during exercise reduces dyspnea and work of breathing and enhances exercise tolerance, although further studies should be required to define their applicability in the routine pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Lung volume resection surgery and lung transplantation in selected patients may control symptoms and improve HRQoL.     

Advance care planning in COPD

The review aims to discuss current concepts in advance care planning (ACP) for patients with COPD, and to provide a narrative review of recent trends in ACP and end-of-life care for patients with COPD. ACP, which involves patient-clinician communication about end-of-life care, can improve outcomes for patients and their families, and may be especially relevant for patients with COPD. Effective patient-clinician communication is needed to inform and prepare patients about their diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and what dying might be like. It is important for clinicians to understand patients' values and preferences for life-sustaining treatments as well for their site of terminal care. Unfortunately, discussions about ACP and end-of-life care in current practice are scarce, and their quality is often poor. ACP can improve outcomes for patients and their relatives. The challenge remains in the practical implementation of ACP in the clinical setting, especially for patients with COPD. ACP should be implemented alongside curative-restorative care for patients with advanced COPD. The disease course of COPD is such that there will rarely be a clear transition point predicting the timing of the need for initiation of end-of-life care. Future studies should focus on interventions that facilitate concurrent ACP and prepare patients for making in-the-moment decisions, with the goal of improving the quality of end-of-life care.     

呼吸困难可视模拟评分在AECOPD中指导激素使用的价值

目的探讨呼吸困难可视模拟评分在AECOPD病人中的临床使用价值,初步评估其在指导糖皮质激素使用方面的作用。方法收集2013年12月至2014年5月符合条件的AECOPD病人69例,在患者入院后及出院前24小时内采用呼吸困难可视Analog问卷、改良后Borg’s评分及英国医学研究学会的呼吸困难量表(m MRC)对病人进行评估,并收集实验室生化指标包括CRP,血气分析等。统计患者住院总时间及激素使用总时间,并分析激素治疗与患者呼吸困难评分之间的相关性。结果入院可视Analog问卷与Borg评分间有良好的一致性(r=0.936,P0.01),与m MRC评分间呈相关性(r=0.527,P0.01)。治疗前后患者VAS问卷明显下降;入院可视Analog问卷得分值与激素使用之间呈正相关(r=0.706,P0.01),相关回归分析示回归系数b=1.505,P0.01。结论可视Analog问卷(VAS)具有准确评估患者呼吸困难的作用,临床上可用于指导AECOPD患者激素使用。     

Palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: exploring the landscape

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experience a substantial symptom burden, high levels of psychosocial need and significant mortality. This epidemiological study reveals that the majority of patients are cared for in the public hospital system (64%) and generally die in hospital (72%) with a number of identifiable predictors of 6‐month mortality. Our results suggest that palliative care services need to be redirected from a community‐based admission focus to a model that is responsive to emergency and acute care hospital systems.     

Oxygen therapy for COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of disability and death globally, characterised by progressive breathlessness, loss of function and, in its later stages, chronic hypoxaemia. Long-term continuous oxygen therapy increases life expectancy in patients with severe resting hypoxaemia. However, there are few data to support the use of oxygen in patients with only mild hypoxaemia and more research is required to determine any benefits of oxygen supplementation in COPD in such individuals.     

COPD and PE: A clinical dilemma

Dyspnea in patients with known chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be a clinical challenge due to the nonspecific nature of atypical presentations. Typical features of fever, productive cough, and wheezing on presentation support COPD exacerbation, while absence of such findings may warrant further evaluation for underlying etiologies, including pulmonary embolism (PE). It is suspected that one in four patients with atypical COPD exacerbation may have PE as an underlying or concomitant cause of acute dyspnea. This review discusses the clinical presentation of COPD and PE, and presents an overview of the rationale for pursuing work-up for thromboembolic disease in the setting of known obstructive lung diseases.     

Role of N-acetylcysteine in the management of COPD

The importance of the underlying local and systemic oxidative stress and inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has long been established. In view of the lack of therapy that might inhibit the progress of the disease, there is an urgent need for a successful therapeutic approach that, through affecting the pathological processes, will influence the subsequent issues in COPD management such as lung function, airway clearance, dyspnoea, exacerbation, and quality of life. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a mucolytic and antioxidant drug that may also influence several inflammatory pathways. It provides the sulfhydryl groups and acts both as a precursor of reduced glutathione and as a direct reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, hence regulating the redox status in the cells. The changed redox status may, in turn, influence the inflammation-controlling pathways. Moreover, as a mucolytic drug, it may, by means of decreasing viscosity of the sputum, clean the bronchi leading to a decrease in dyspnoea and improved lung function. Nevertheless, as successful as it is in the in vitro studies and in vivo studies with high dosage, its actions at the dosages used in COPD management are debatable. It seems to influence exacerbation rate and limit the number of hospitalization days, however, with little or no influence on the lung function parameters. Despite these considerations and in view of the present lack of effective therapies to inhibit disease progression in COPD, NAC and its derivatives with their multiple molecular modes of action remain promising medication once doses and route of administration are optimized.     

Obesity in COPD: Revealed and Unrevealed Issues

The interactions between obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are being increasingly explored. In part, this is due to the globally increasing prevalence rates of obesity. The prevalence of obesity in COPD patients is variable, and it seems that obesity is more common in COPD patients compared with subjects who do not have COPD. However, further studies are encouraged in this area due to observed inconsistencies in the current data. In this review, we focus on the knowledge of the effects of obesity on dyspnea, pulmonary function, exercise capacity and exacerbation risk. Reduction of dyspnea is one of the main therapy targets in COPD care. There is still no consensus as to whether obesity has a negative or even a positive effect on dyspnea in COPD patients. It is hypothesized that obese COPD patients might benefit from favourable respiratory mechanics (less lung hyperinflation). However, despite less hyperinflation, obesity seems to have a negative influence on exercise capacity measured with weight-bearing tests. This negative influence is not seen with weight-supported exercise such as cycling. With respect to severe exacerbations, obesity seems to be associated with better survival.

In summary, it is concluded that due to differences in study methodology and cohort selection, there are still too many knowledge gaps to develop guidelines for clinical practice. Further exploration is needed to get conclusive answers.     

Effects of transdermal tulobuterol on dyspnea and respiratory function during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background

Poor exercise tolerability is a major barrier to improving the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although COPD is often treated with long-acting β₂ adrenergic agonists, few studies have examined their effects on exercise tolerability.

Methods

In this study, Japanese COPD patients were treated with 2 mg transdermal tulobuterol, a long-acting β₂ agonist, once daily for 4 weeks. Spirometry and exercise tests were conducted at baseline and at the end of treatment. The patients conducted constant load (30 W for 5 min) and incremental load (starting at 10 W and increasing by 10 W every 1 min for 5 min to a maximum load of 50 W) exercise tests on a cycle ergometer.

Results

Thirteen patients with stable COPD participated in this study (mean age ± standard deviation (SD), 69.5±9.7 years; smoking history 55.9±27.8 pack-years). Resting spirometric parameters were unchanged at the end of treatment. The maximum Borg scale for dyspnea and the Borg scale slope (BSS) decreased significantly from baseline to the end of treatment. The threshold load of dyspnea (TLD) increased slightly, although not significantly, in the constant load test but not in the incremental load test. There were no changes in respiratory parameters during exercise after treatment.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we found that treatment with transdermal tulobuterol for 4 weeks improved self-assessed dyspnea in Japanese COPD patients during constant and incremental exercise tests. This improvement in dyspnea may encourage patients to perform daily life activities or regular physical activity.     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者进餐低氧与PFSDQ-M问卷的应用研究

目的应用肺功能状态与呼吸困难问卷-修订版(PFSDQ-M)评估慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)患者进餐低氧的变化。方法对2004年11月至2005年10月上海交通大学医学院附属新华医院呼吸科的63例COPD患者进行PFSDQ-M问卷的评分,并对其中49例进行肺功能测定和进餐氧饱和度监测。根据肺功能等级分组,分析脉搏氧饱和度(SpO2)和问卷各区域分值与进餐低氧的相关性。结果不同肺功能状态COPD患者餐后SpO2下降幅度不同(P<0.05)。PFSDQ-M问卷中活动受限、呼吸困难和疲劳程度3个区域得分组间差异有显著性意义(P<0.05),回归分析示PFSDQ-M问卷中呼吸困难区域和疲劳频度子区的得分影响到进餐SpO2的变化。结论COPD患者进餐低氧与日常活动中常发生的呼吸困难和疲劳有关,应用PFSDQ-M问卷评估患者气急和疲劳的主观感受是可行的方法,可为临床观察和评价提供重要依据。     

Remote daily real-time monitoring in patients with COPD – A feasibility study using a novel device

New technologies have allowed remote real-time electronic recording of symptoms and spirometry. The feasibility of utilising this technology in COPD patients has not been investigated.This is a feasibility study. The primary objective is to determine whether the use of an electronic diary with a portable spirometer can be performed by COPD patients with a moderate to severe disease. Secondary objectives are to investigate the value of this method in early detection of acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD).In this 6-month study, 18 patients recorded daily their symptom score and spirometry. Data was sent on real time. AECOPD which was defined according to pre-set criteria were noted. Spirometry values and scores for health-related quality of life were compared between the start and the end of the study. Hospitalisation rate due to AECOPD was compared with a parallel period in the previous year.On average, patients were able to record 77% of their total study days. The system detected 73% of AECOPD. In further 27% of AECOPD patients sought treatment although the change in symptoms did not meet AECOPD definition. The number of COPD-related hospitalisations significantly reduced compared to the previous year. There was a significant increase in FEV₁ and FVC from the start to the end of the study.The remote monitoring device used in this study can be used in COPD patients. AECOPD was detected early in the majority of cases. Hospitalisation rate due to AECOPD was reduced and FEV₁ and FVC values increased during the study.     

Effect of pharmaceutical care on medication adherence and hospital admission in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a randomized controlled study

Background

Poor adherence leads to a high rate of exacerbation and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few strategies are acceptable and effective in improving medication adherence. We investigated whether pharmaceutical care by clinical pharmacists could reinforce medication adherence to reduce exacerbation and improve HRQoL.

Methods

A randomized controlled study was carried out at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from February 2012 to January 2014. Non-adherence patients were randomly assigned to receive pharmaceutical care or to usual care. The pharmaceutical care consisted of individualized education and a series of telephone counseling for 6 months provided by clinical pharmacists. Medication adherence was measured by pill counts plus direct interview at 1- and 6-month pharmaceutical care and one-year follow-up. Severe exacerbations were defined as events that led to hospitalization for acute COPD attack. An interview was conducted to investigate hospital admissions and evaluate severe exacerbations at one-year follow-up. HRQoL was measured by St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire at 6 months.

Results

At 6-month pharmaceutical care and one-year follow-up, the pharmaceutical care group exhibited higher medication adherence than the usual care group (73.4±11.1 vs. 55.7±11.9, P=0.016 and 54.4±12.5 vs. 66.5±8.6, P=0.039, respectively). There are 60 acute exacerbations resulted in a hospital admission in the usual group while 37 ones in the pharmaceutical care group during one-year follow-up (P=0.01). Hospital admissions due to acute exacerbation in the pharmaceutical care group were 56.3% less than the usual care group (P=0.01). There was a significant difference in the symptoms and impact subscales respectively at 6-month pharmaceutical care between two groups (P=0.032, P=0.018).

Conclusions

Individualized pharmaceutical care improved medication adherence, reduced hospitalization and elevated HRQoL in patients with COPD.     

EBUS对慢性阻塞性肺疾病气道重构的研究

目的 探讨气道内超声(EBUS)在慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)患者气道重构中的应用价值.方法 26例COPD患者,22例健康对照,选择右中叶为目标气道.经电子支气管镜工作通道插入超声探头,并在其引导下到达目标支气管.结果 COPD患者右中叶管壁厚度、管壁面积以及黏膜层、黏膜下层厚度与对照组比较有显著差异;而两组软骨层的厚度无显著差异.结论 COPD患者右中叶存在气道壁增厚,管壁面积增大.气道重构主要发生在黏膜层及黏膜下层.EBUS可以成为研究COPD患者气道重构的新方法.     

临床药师为慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者实施药学监护的路径和方法研究

目的探讨分析临床药师为慢性阻塞性肺疾病(慢阻肺)患者实施药学监护的路径和方法研究。方法选取2012年7月~2014年7月在我院进行治疗的120例慢阻肺患者为研究对象,实验组进行药学监护,对照组进行常规监护,对比两组患者的平均住院时间、治疗前后第一秒用力呼气容积(FEV1%)的值,对比两组患者用药的情况和圣乔治问卷调查表。结果对比两组患者平均住院时间发现,实验组明显短于对照组,P0.05;治疗后FEV1%两组内均有改善,但实验组治疗后明显优于对照组治疗后,P0.05;对比两组患者用药情况发现实验组用药的种数、规律用药的比例和不良反应发生率均明显优于对照组,P0.05;对比两组患者圣乔治问卷调查情况得分:实验组在疾病影响、活动能力、症状部分3组指标上的得分均低于对照组,P0.05。结论临床药师进行药理学监护,可以提高患者用药的依从性,缩短患者的住院时间,降低患者发生不良反应的可能性,使患者规律用药,提高了患者的生活质量,具有比较高的价值,因此值得临床推广。     

Pulmonary haemodynamic changes in patients with severe COPD

Worsening gas exchange during exercise and during exacerbations of COPD contributes to systemic hypoxaemia and reduces quality of life. However, pulmonary haemodynamic changes under such conditions are not well understood. Right heart catheterization was performed in six patients with severe COPD (%FEV(1) < 50%) during rest, exercise and during an exacerbation. Pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) was slightly elevated at rest. The Ppa, as well as pulmonary artery wedge pressure (Pawp) and cardiac index were significantly increased during bicycle ergometer exercise. In contrast, pulmonary vascular resistance increased significantly during an exacerbation accompanied by a slightly increased Ppa. Supplemental oxygen resulted in significant decreases in Ppa and Pawp during exercise and Ppa during exacerbations. In patients with COPD, haemodynamic changes in the pulmonary circulation may differ during exercise and with exacerbations. Supplementary oxygen is beneficial and associated with reductions in pulmonary arterial pressures.     

无创通气联合肺康复治疗在老年慢性阻塞性肺病稳定期合并高碳酸血症患者中的应用

目的探讨双水平气道正压通气(BiPAP)无创呼吸机通气联合肺康复治疗在老年护理机构慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)稳定期合并高碳酸血症患者中的应用效果。方法选取2018年2月—2019年2月收治的47例老年COPD稳定期合并高碳酸血症接受肺康复的患者,采用随机数字表法随机分成研究组(n=23)和对照组(n=24)。对照组予低流量鼻导管吸氧、化痰、扩张支气管、布地奈德福莫特罗吸入剂、营养治疗、有氧训练、阻抗训练以及心理支持等治疗措施;研究组在对照组的治疗基础上联合给予无创BiPAP治疗。比较2组患者的临床疗效、血气指标、慢性阻塞性肺疾病评估测试(CAT)、6min步行试验(6MWT)、肺功能及并发症发生情况。结果治疗4周,研究组二氧化碳分压和6MWT的改善程度优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);研究组FEV1及FEV1占预计值百分比有所提升,且研究组改善情况优于对照组(P<0.05)。研究组临床疗效总有效率高于对照组(91.3% vs 62.5%,P=0.049),继发肺部感染的发生率低于对照组(26.1% vs 62.5%,P=0.037)。结论BiPAP无创呼吸机通气联合肺康复治疗在合并高碳酸血症的老年COPD稳定期患者中疗效显著,能有效改善患者的临床症状、血气指标及肺功能,降低二氧化碳潴留及呼吸性酸中毒,减少肺部感染的发生率。