Case of Advanced COPD: Lessons Learnt

ABSTRACT

@#A case study of a 76-year-old man with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with refractory breathlessness and the challenges in managing the dyspnoea he had been experiencing are described. A multi-modal approach is the mainstay of management, encompassing pharmacological agents, home oxygen therapy, and non-pharmacological approaches, namely, breathing techniques and smoking cessation. As this patient was at an advanced stage of disease, integration of palliative care with disease care was needed. Administering oxygen therapy for a patient who is still smoking and has household members who are current smokers need firm adherence to rules. The AIC HOME Programme is also briefly described.