Treatment of exacerbations

(Image: © The University of Edinburgh (2020) CC BY-SA 4.0)

A COPD exacerbation (or attack) is an acute worsening of respiratory symptoms that requires additional therapy. They are classified as mild, moderate or severe according to the treatment that is required:

1. Mild exacerbation requires short acting bronchodilators only.
2. Moderate exacerbation is treated with short acting bronchodilators plus antibiotics and/or oral corticosteroids
3. Severe exacerbation requires hospitalisation