CHESTGuidelines & Topic CollectionsEscalating Therapy in Patients With COPD Who Remain Symptomatic

Escalating Therapy in Patients With COPD Who Remain Symptomatic

If a patient has persistent shortness of breath, cough, or other COPD-related symptoms, then therapy escalation or modification is required.

Review other infographics in this series:
Initial Maintenance Therapy Selection for Patients With COPD »
Escalating Therapy in Patients With COPD Experiencing Exacerbations »

Author: Chitra Lal, MD, MBBS, FCCP

Last updated October 17, 2023

  • Dual therapy with a long-acting β-agonist (LABA) + long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) combination if the patient is on monotherapy with LABA or LAMA

  • Dual therapy with a LABA + LAMA combination if the patient is on LABA + inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) with major symptoms

  • Fixed-dose combination medications, which may be more convenient and effective than multiple inhalers

  • If there's been no symptom improvement, consider switching the inhaler device or molecules

Source: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 2023. www.goldcopd.org
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