Kaiser Diagnostic and
Treatment
Documents
TPMG
Clinical
Practice Statement Management
of Acute Exacerbations of
Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
MAY 1999
ENDORSED BY
CHIEFS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
CHIEFS OF MEDICINE
CHIEFS OF PULMONOLOGY
HOSPITAL BASED SPECIALISTS PEER GROUP
CLINICAL
PRACTICE STATEMENT
MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE
EXACERBATIONS of
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
As
described by the American Thoracic Society', an
acute
exacerbation of COPD is characterized by
an
acute worsening of symptoms
accompanied by worsened
lung function in an individual with COPD.
In
the most severe of
instances, an acute exacerbation
poses the risk of acute respiratory failure. Potential
precipitants
of such acute
exacerbations include: various
infections (viral and bacterial), fluid
overload,
thromboemboli,
cardiac ischemia, aspiration,
excessive sedation from medications,
and
bronchospasm.
INITIAL
EVALUATION and ADMISSION CRITERIA
KEY COMPONENTS of INITIAL EVALUATION
* History:
baseline respiratory
status, sputum
volume and characteristics,
duration
and progression of
symptoms, severity of dyspnea,
exercise limitations,
sleep
and eating difficulties,
home care resources, failure
of home regimen,
symptoms
of co-morbid acute or
chronic conditions, smoking
history
* Physical
examination: respiratory rate,
blood pressure, temperature, pulse,
bronchospasm,
altered
mentation, paradoxical abdominal
retractions, use of
accessory
respiratory muscles,
acute morbid conditions
*
Laboratory: usually includes ABG, BUN/Cr,
Lytes, Glu, CBC, Chest
radiograph
if pneumonia is
suspected, ECG, pulse oximetry,
theophylline level if
outpatient
theophylline is used
CONSIDERATION
for ADMISSION
The
severity of
the condition
(by the high association
with near and long-term mortality
rates)
should be factored in
when considering admission
for patients with an acute
exacerbation
of COPD. The
following variables are significant
predictors of COPD short-term
mortality
4,5,6,7.
* Age > 65
* Alveolar arterial oxygen gradient > 41mm
Hg
* Ventricular arrhythmia
* Atrial fibrillation
* CHF
* Presence of cor pulmonale
* Prior functional status
Note:
Other significant predictors of short term
mortality
included the APACHE III score (Abnormal
values
over a 24 hr period of
the following: Glasgow
Coma score, heart rate, mean blood pressure,
temperature,
hematocrit, WBC
count, creatinine, urine
output, serum urea nitrogen, sodium,
albumin,
glucose, respiratory
rate, pH, PaCO2
PaO2)
and a low body mass index.
ADDITIONAL
INDICATIONS for HOSPITALIZATION1
*
Inadequate
response of symptoms to outpatient
management
*
Inability to eat
or sleep due to dyspnea
*
Prolonged,
progressive symptoms before emergency
visit
*
Planned invasive
surgical or diagnostic procedure
requiring analgesics or sedatives
that may worsen pulmonary function
*
Co-morbid condition such as
severe steroid myopathy
or acute vertebral compression
fractures, with worsening pulmonary function
POTENTIAL
INDICATIONS for ICU ADMISSION1
*
Severe dyspnea that responds
inadequately to initial
emergency therapy
*
Confusion, lethargy, or
respiratory muscle fatigue
(the last characterized by
paradoxical diaphragmatic motion)
*
Persistent or worsening
hypoxemia despite supplemental
oxygen or severe worsening of
respiratory acidosis (pH < 7.30)
*
Assisted mechanical
ventilation is required
TREATMENT
FOR
AN ACUTE EXACERATION of COPD
The
principal goal of COPD
management is to achieve and
maintain control of the disease.
This
includes improving
symptoms and quality of life
and reducing the frequency and severity
of
COPD exacerbations;
improving lung function and reducing
the accelerated decline
in
lung function; preventing
and effectively treating
complications; reducing mortality;
and
avoiding or minimizing
treatment side effects. Based
on review of recent literature the
guideline
team recommends the
following approach:
*
Oxygen therapy: The most important
consequence
of hypoxemia is tissue
hypoxia.
Hence, the first
responsibility of the physician
is to correct or prevent life
threatening
hypoxemia.
Continued monitoring is highly
advisable in the unstable patient.
The
goal of oxygen therapy is
correction of hypoxemia
to a PaO2 > 60mm Hg or 02
Sat > 90%.
*
Combination therapy with a beta2-agonist
(albuterol) and anticholinergic aerosols
(AtroventÒ
or its
generic
equivalent, ipratropium bromide) should be considered
the
next step in the inpatient
management of acute
COPD exacerbations. There is evidence to suggest
that
they may act
synergistically with no increase in
adverse effects due to combined
usage8,9,10,11
Although data indicates that
therapy given via nebulizer or with metered
dose
inhaler (MDI) are
equivalent12,13 it
is recommended that the initial dose of
combined
therapy be given by
nebulizer to ensure drug
delivery to patients in acute
distress.
Nebulized beta2-agonist
(albuterol)
can be given every 15 minutes
or
until the patient's
clinical condition changes. In
severe exacerbations,continuous
nebulized
beta2-agonist
(albuterol) can be
given up to 15 mg/hr,
but
the patient must be
carefully monitored for cardiac
arrhythmias and hypokalemia.
Subsequent
doses of
AtroventÒ
can then be given every 6-8 hours. Patients can then be
switched
to MDI (albuterol 2-4
puffs with spacer QID,
AtroventÒ 4-8 puffs TID or
QID)
once considered stable.
Patients presenting to the
clinic or emergency
department
in mild respiratory
distress can often be
treated with an inhaled beta2-
agonist
(albuterol) MDI with
spacer 4-6 puffs every 5
minutes for two to three
treatments
combined with one
treatment of 4-8 puffs Atrovent
MDI with spacer. If there
is
no significant clinical
improvement, the patient can
then be given
an
albuterol/AtroventÒ
nebulizer therapy [Initial dose can be combined: I unit dose
AtroventÒ
with 0.5
cc of 0.5% albuterol solution (2.5 mg)].
*
Oral
or intravenous corticosteroids should be
considered to decrease airway
inflammation.
Studies14,5,6,7
have shown patients
treated with corticosteroids
have
rapid improvement ofFEV1,
decreased rate
of relapse, fewer treatment failures,
better
spirometry, and shorter
length of stay. The amount
and duration of corticosteroids
given
to patients with an
acute exacerbation of COPD
is unclear, and is currently under
clinical
investigation.
However, patients requiring hospitalization
may benefit from
Methylprednisolone
1 mg/kg
every 6 hours for 2-3 days
and then followed by
prednisone
40-60 mg per day on
a tapering schedule. Patients
not requiring
hospitalization
may also
benefit from prednisone 40-60
mg/day on a tapering
schedule.
*
Purulent
sputum usually provides
rationale for
a course of antibiotic therapy:
amoxicillin,
trimethoprim-sulfa, cephalosporins, or macrolides
may be
chosen.
It has been shown that
such agents may assist
in resolving an exacerbation, but
they
have more value in
decreasing the risk of further
deteriorationl8 More recently a
meta-analysisl9
demonstrated a small but significant
improvement in peak expiratory
flow
due to antibiotic therapy
in patients with exacerbations
of COPD.
*
The
roles of theophylline or
intravenous
aminophylline
have diminished
significantly
in the setting
of an acute exacerbation
of COPD because of their toxic
effects
and little proof of
efficacy when combined with
other bronchodilators20,21
and
are not recommended in the
management of acute COPD
exacerbations.
Other
treatment & evaluation
considerations during
the hospital phase may include:
*
Sedation and pain management
*
Ambulation or DVT
prophylaxis as applicable
*
Respiratory
Therapist evaluation
*
Non Invasive
Ventilation per protocol
*
Implementing COPD
pathway as applicable
*
Discharge care
planning
DISCHARGE
CRITERIA for PATIENTS WITH ACUTE EXACERBATIONS of
COPD
Insufficient clinical
data exists to establish the
duration
of hospitalization in individual
patients
to achieve maximal
benefit. Consensus and limited
data support the discharge criteria listed below: 1
* Inhaled
bronchodilator therapy is
required no
more frequently than q 4 h
*
Patient, if previously
ambulatory, is able
to walk across room
*
Patient is able to eat and sleep without frequent
awakening by dyspnea
*
Reactive airway disease, if present, is stable
*
Patient has been clinically stable, off parenteral
therapy, for 12-24 h
*
02 Sat > 88% with or without oxygen
and no significant increase in PaCo2
*
Patient (or home caregiver) fully understands
correct use of medications
*
Follow-up and home care arrangements have been
completed (e.g., checking and
updating
immunization status; referral to COPD case manager
as applicable; visiting
nurse;
enrollment in smoking cessation program; oxygen
delivery; meal provisions)
Note:
A patient who does not fully meet criteria for
home discharge may be considered for discharge to a
nonacute
care facility for observation during the final
resolution of symptoms.
BACKGROUND
Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD) is the fourth
leading cause of death in
the
United States. Affecting
16 million people each year
it accounts for 13.8 million office
visits
and 297,000
hospitalizations at a cost of 18 billion
dollars'. Even more distressing is
the
fact that mortality due to
heart disease and stroke
have decreased substantially over the
past
10 years, mortality from
COPD has increased by 33%.
Despite the fact that acute
exacerbations
of COPD account
for a relatively high proportion
of hospital admissions in the
United
States, indications for
hospitalization and length
of hospital stay have received very
little
attention. Relatively
few studies have investigated
patient-specific, objective clinical
and
laboratory features
identifying patients with COPD
who require hospitalization.
This
led to the formulation of consensus
guidelines for
COPD management by various
specialty
organizations, the
American Thoracic Society',
the British Thoracic Society, the
Canadian
Thoracic Society, and
the European Respiratory
Society. A recent review3 shows that
these
guidelines are
substantially similar in nature.
This review also emphasized that these
COPD
guidelines are restricted
by limited empirical evidence.
With these considerations
in
mind, physicians from
Kaiser Permanente Northern California
convened to develop a
systematic
approach that would
help physicians identify
and treat high-risk patients
needing
admission among those
presenting with an acute
exacerbation. While we
undertook
an extensive
literature search and critically
reviewed available evidence
in
developing this approach we
acknowledge the lack of
large, double blind, placebo-
controlled
clinical trials
addressing fundamental questions
of management. It
is
for the aforementioned
reason TMPG has entitled this
document as a Clinical Practice
Statement
as opposed to a
Clinical Practice Guideline.
REFERENCES
1.
Standards for the diagnosis
and care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
American
Thoracic
Society. Am J Respir
Crit Care Med
1995;152(5
Pt 2):S77-121.
Items reprinted with permission.
2.
U.S. Department
of Commerce. Bureau
of the Census.
Statistical
abstract of the
United States 1997. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Commerce,
November
1997.
3.
Fabbri L et al.
Curr Opin Pulm Med
1998;4:78-84.
4.
Fuso L et al. Am
J Med 1995; 98:272-7.
5.
The
SUPPORT investigators.AmJRespir
Crit Care Med 1996;154(4 Pt l):959-67 [published erratum
appears
in Am J Respir Crit
Car Med 1997 Jan;155(l):386].
6.
Seneff
MG etal./AM 19951274:1852-7.
7.
MoranJL
at al. Crit Care Med
1998;26:71-8.
8.
Shrestha M at al. Ann Emerg
Med 1991120:1206-9.
9.
COMBIVENT Inhalation and
Aerosol Study
Group. Chest 1994;105:1411-9.
10.
Levin DC et al. Am J Med
1996;100(IA):40S-48S.
11.
Tashkin DP et al. Am J Med
1996;100(IA):62S-69S.
12.
Kuhl DA et al. Ann Pharmacother
1994;28:1379-88.
13.
Turner MO et al. Arch Intern Med
1997:157:1736-44.
14.
Albert RK et al. Ann Intern Med 1980:92:753-8.
15.
Murata WH et al. Chest 1990;98:845-9.
16.
Thompson WH et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med
1996;154(2
Pt l):407-12.
17.
SCCOPE Study Group. Control Clin
Trials 1998;19:404-17.
Results presented at the
International
Conference for
American Lung Association/American
Thoracic Society, April 1998,
will
be published in an
upcoming issue of the New England
Journal of Medicine.
18.
Anthonisen NR et al. Ann Intern Med
1987:106:196-204.
19.
Saint S. et al. JAMA 1995;273:957-60.
20.
Rice KL et al. Ann Intern Med
1987;107:305-9.
21.
Wrenn K et al. Ann intern Med
1991:115:241-7.
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Kaiser
Pemianente Northern
California
TPMG
Department of Quality and
Utilization
1800
Hamson Street, 4th Floor,
Oakland, CA 94612
510-987-2950
or tie-line
8-427-2950
To obtain more
information about KPNC Clinical
Practice
Guidelines, printed copies, or permission to
reproduce
any portion, please
contact the TPMG Dept.
of Quality & Utilization, or send an e-mail message
to
clinical.guidelines@ncal.kaiperm.org
KPNC
Clinical Practice
Guidelines can be viewed on-line
on the Kaiser Permanente Northern California
intranet
website at
http://clinical-library.al.kp.org
This website is accessible only from the Kaiser
Permanente
computer network.
This
Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) Clinical
Practice
Statement has been developed to assist
clinicians
by providing an
analytical framework for the
evaluation and treatment of selected common
problems
encountered in
patients. This statement is not
intended to establish a protocol for all patients
with
a particular condition.
While the statement provides
one approach to evaluating a problem,
clinical
conditions may vary
significantly from individual
to individual. Therefore, the clinician must
exercise
independent judgment
and make decisions based
upon the situation presented.While great care
has
been taken to assure the
accuracy of the information
presented, the reader is advised that
TPMG
cannot be responsible for
continued currency of
the information, for any errors or omissions in this
statement,
or for any
consequences arising from its use.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CLINICAL LEADER
David
Goya,
DO, MBA, FCCP,
FACP, Pulmonology; Santa Clara
CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE TEAM
Mark
Clark, MD, HBS; Vallejo
Nada
Ferns, NP, Medicine;
Hayward
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Jay
Krishnaswamy, MBA,
Department of Quality and Utilization
(DOQU)
Linda
Rogers, MPA, DOQU
EDITING
The
Medical Editing
Department,
Kaiser
Foundation Research
Institute
REVIEWERS
Joe
Anderson, RT;
Redwood City
Christine
Angeles, MD,
Pulmonology; South San Francisco
Richard
Blohm, MD, Medicine;
Sacramento
George
Bulloch, MD, Emergency;
Redwood City
Laura
Butcher, MD, Medicine;
San Jose
Tony
Cantelmi, MD, Medicine;
Roseville
Doug
Chartier, MD, HBS; Oakland
Uli
Chettipally, MD,
Emergency; South San Francisco
John
David, MD, Emergency; San
Rafael
Paul
Feigenbaum, MD, Medicine;
San Francisco
Maurice
Franco, MD, Medicine;
Hayward
Eric
Koscove, MD, Emergency;
Santa Clara
Pansy
Kwong, MD, Medicine;
Oakland
Lewis
Lehman, MD, HBS; San
Franrisco
David
Langkammer, MD,
Medicine; Antioch
Susan
Marantz, MD,
Pulmonology; Santa Rosa
Tom
Padgett, MD, Emergency;
San Francisco
Bill
Plautz, MD, Emergency;
South San Francisco
Christina
Shih, MD, Emergency;
San Francisco
Kurt
Swartout, MD, HBS;
Sacramento
Christopher
Tyier, MD, HBS;
San Francisco
Tuan
Tran, MD, HBS; Stockton
Abdul
Wali, MD, HBS; Walnut
Creek
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
Gail
Holan,Curvey Graphic
Design
Copyright
1999 The Permanente Medical Group, Inc.
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