Respiratory Institute Outcomes

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disorder characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath cough and sputum production due to abnormalities of the airways and/or air sacs (alveoli) which result in persistent and progressive airflow obstruction. COPD is common with a prevalence of 6% in the US adult population. Although environmental exposure, with tobacco smoke and household pollution chief culprits, is the predominant etiology for development of COPD, the condition is heterogeneous and can arise due to genetic, developmental, infectious etiology or consequent to longstanding asthma. Further, there are several COPD phenotypes and genotypes with similar clinical features, prognosis and treatment needs such as asthma COPD overlap, emphysema and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

The diverse etiology, manifestations and phenotypes of COPD require a nuanced approach to management and call for multidisciplinary evaluation. Advanced emphysema patients may be candidates for lung volume reduction intervention and benefit from interventional pulmonology and thoracic surgery consultation. COPD patients who have episodic and frequent worsening of their symptoms, also known as exacerbations, need to be evaluated for optimal pharmacotherapy regimen including biologic agents. Home noninvasive ventilation could help improve the lives of COPD patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. These efficacious treatment options have brought hope and optimism to COPD patients and caregivers alike.

Podcast:

Cleveland Clinic Respiratory Medicine hosts podcasts series available on all major platforms including Apple, Google, Soundcloud and Spotify; click on a link below to listen and learn more.

Click on the link below to find and listen to ‘Non-invasive Ventilation for Hypercapnic COPD’ hosted by Daniel Culver, DO, Chair, Pulmonary Medicine with guest Umur Hatipoglu, MD, MBA, Medical Director, Enterprise Respiratory Therapy, Section Head, Respiratory Therapy in the Department of Critical Care Medicine, and Director, COPD Center.

Respiratory Inspirations at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/respiratory-inspirations. Suitable for any audience interested in learning more about conditions affecting your respiratory health as we discuss related diseases, causes, treatments, innovations and what the future may bring.

​