Respiratory care
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Obstructive lung diseases, including asthma and COPD, are characterized by air-flow limitation. Bronchodilator therapy can often decrease symptoms of air-flow obstruction by relaxing airway smooth muscle (bronchodilation), decreasing dyspnea, and improving quality of life. In this review, we discuss the pharmacology of the β agonist and anticholinergic bronchodilators and their use, particularly in asthma and COPD. Expanding knowledge of receptor subtypes and G-protein signaling, agonist and antagonist specificity, and drug delivery have led to the introduction of safer medications with fewer off-target effects, medications with longer duration of action that may improve adherence, and more effective and efficient aerosol delivery devices.
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Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) at home has been demonstrated to improve survival in patients with COPD and severe resting hypoxemia. Support for LTOT is based on 2 landmark trials published nearly 4 decades ago. These results form the basis for reimbursement and prescription of LTOT to this day. ⋯ New technology for automated control of LTOT shows promise but is hampered by regulatory processes and cost pressures. Recent changes in government reimbursement for home oxygen therapy also present challenges. This paper will review the current evidence regarding LTOT in COPD and the impact on mortality and functional outcomes as well as reviewing technological challenges.
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Guideline-based management of asthma was developed as a means of standardizing asthma therapies and of improving outcomes. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program and the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines provide recommendations to care providers about the routine management of asthma. ⋯ We are increasingly recognizing that asthma is a heterogenous disease with a diverse underlying pathophysiology, and therefore, it is imperative for care providers to begin to understand asthma phenotypes and endotypes, and the implications of these classifications on management, especially of severe refractory asthma. This article serves as a review of guideline-based therapy for asthma and includes updates on alternative therapies, new approaches that use previously recognized therapies, and special populations with asthma.
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Corticosteroids have numerous applications in treating inflammation and diseases of immune function based on their significant anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Corticosteroids modulate immune function through various effects in the nucleus of numerous cells. When used in pharmacologic doses to suppress allergic responses or inflammation, these agents can cause numerous adverse effects associated with an excess of glucocorticoid activity. ⋯ Inhaled corticosteroids are potent synthetic agents that exert their actions locally in the airways but can cause systemic effects based on several factors that influence systemic bioavailability. Inhaled corticosteroids are the cornerstone of asthma therapy and important options for COPD in patients who experience frequent exacerbations. By the nasal route, they are the most effective therapy for treating moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis.
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Drug delivery by inhalation is the principal strategy to treat obstructive lung diseases, which affect about 15% of the population in the United States. Aerosol delivery devices have evolved over more than 60 years from the basic pressurized metered-dose inhaler and nebulizer to numerous types of inhalers and devices, including valved holder chambers, dry powder inhalers, soft mist inhalers, as well as smart inhalers and nebulizers. ⋯ Aerosol science is evolving, with methods of measurement that include radio-scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging, to provide a better understanding of aerosol delivery and effects. Understanding the science and clinical application of aerosol drug delivery can substantially aid clinicians in optimizing these therapies for their patients.