[Protocol for the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after exacerbation in the emergency department]

Abstract

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is an episode of clinical instability due to the worsening of expiratory airflow limitation or of the underlying inflammatory process. The severity of AECOPD depends on baseline risk stratification and the intensity of the acute episode. Primary Care is the epicenter of the AECOPD care circuit, but it can be extended to the out-of-hospital emergency department and the hospital itself depending on the clinical situation, the level of severity, the availability of complementary tests, and the therapeutic resources required for each patient. Recording clinical data, history, triggering factors, treatment, and evolution of previous episodes of AECOPD in the electronic medical record is an essential aspect to adjust current treatment and prevent the occurrence of future episodes.

Keywords: Atención Primaria; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Emergency department; Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica; Exacerbation syndrome; Primary Care; Síndrome de agudización; Urgencias.