Inhalation therapy forms the cornerstone for the treatment of COPD. Development and promotion of specific molecule(s) to treat patients with COPD has been a major focus for pharmaceutical companies. Unfortunately, there has been limited guidance on the selection of the most appropriate inhaled delivery system for the individual patient. There are also several misconceptions about the selection and techniques of using inhalation devices in patients with COPD that need to be addressed for optimal management of patients with COPD. In addition to inhalation devices, several other techniques are employed or assessed to support management of patients with COPD. These include smoking cessation techniques, instrumental physiotherapy support, telehealth, bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, airways denervation and rheoplasty, long-term oxygen therapy, noninvasive ventilation, especially nocturnal ventilation. The use of these devices and techniques varies considerably in various geographic regions of the world and some of these differences will be explored in this collection.
COPD is a vast public health problem with a global impact. It is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Various devices are employed for managing patients with COPD. Current guidelines emphasize the role of various pharmacologic agents but the contribution of devices, medical and surgical, used in COPD management has received less attention in the literature. The devices employed for management of COPD include, but are not limited to, inhalation devices, smart inhalers, use of telehealth, devices used for facilitating smoking cessation, instrumental airway clearance support, non-invasive ventilation, long-term oxygen, and bronchoscopic and surgical lung volume reduction. The article collection in COPD will highlight the most appropriate use of various devices and techniques to optimize management of patients with COPD.
The collection will include review articles that will describe various devices and techniques and the means to optimize management of COPD with their use.
The article collection will be divided in the following subtopics:
- inhalation devices
- smoking cessation techniques
- instrumental physiotherapy support
- telehealth
- interventional bronchoscopy
- respiratory and ventilatory support
For each, articles will address selecting the most appropriate patients for each device, monitoring their use and the outcomes with each device or technique. In addition, differences in management of COPD in various regions of the world will be explored.
We will also include Original Research pertinent to these topics.
