Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive disease process that includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and in some cases asthma. COPD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Reid, 2014). This disease is a public health problem that is not only preventable but treatable. It is important to know about the illness, symptoms, standard inhaled medication and explore a newer long-acting muscarinic antagonist bronchodilator as Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines recommend.
COPD is chronic inflammation of the airways that cause changes and destruction leading to the obstruction of airflow. The deterioration of normal lung tissues results in a decrease in expiratory flow and …show more content…
These medications block the acetylcholine that regulates bronchoconstriction, mucus production, and inflammation and relax the smooth muscles of the airway and dilate them open to decrease shortness of breath and improve work of breathing. The effects of these medications usually last three to six hours. The short acting beta agonist have a five to fifteen minute onset of action and works on the beta 2 receptor sites to relax the airways. The short acting antimuscarinic drugs have a thirty to forty minute onset of action and target the muscarinic receptor sites in the lungs. There are also long-acting bronchodilators that work in the same fashion as the short acting medications but last at least twelve hours. The classification of the long-acting medications are beta-agonist and antimuscarinic just as the short-acting drugs. Recently, the Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease recommends the use of long-acting bronchodilators for the treatment of chronic COPD (Reid, 2014). Inhaled steroids are used for severe stages of COPD or during an exacerbation. Steroid inhalers reduce the inflammation of the airways. All of these medications have a variety of devices to deliver the drug from breath activated, dry powder, pressurized meter dose, and
COPD is chronic inflammation of the airways that cause changes and destruction leading to the obstruction of airflow. The deterioration of normal lung tissues results in a decrease in expiratory flow and …show more content…
These medications block the acetylcholine that regulates bronchoconstriction, mucus production, and inflammation and relax the smooth muscles of the airway and dilate them open to decrease shortness of breath and improve work of breathing. The effects of these medications usually last three to six hours. The short acting beta agonist have a five to fifteen minute onset of action and works on the beta 2 receptor sites to relax the airways. The short acting antimuscarinic drugs have a thirty to forty minute onset of action and target the muscarinic receptor sites in the lungs. There are also long-acting bronchodilators that work in the same fashion as the short acting medications but last at least twelve hours. The classification of the long-acting medications are beta-agonist and antimuscarinic just as the short-acting drugs. Recently, the Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease recommends the use of long-acting bronchodilators for the treatment of chronic COPD (Reid, 2014). Inhaled steroids are used for severe stages of COPD or during an exacerbation. Steroid inhalers reduce the inflammation of the airways. All of these medications have a variety of devices to deliver the drug from breath activated, dry powder, pressurized meter dose, and