Build a grab-and-go COPD emergency kit
Extra medications (especially inhalers/rescue) and oxygen supplies
Up-to-date medication list and My Care Team card
Advance care planning conversations are valuable at any stage of COPD
Reduces family burden and potential conflict later
Key questions: breathing machine, feeding tube, CPR, dialysis, cancer treatment
It is never too late to quit; medication roughly doubles success odds
Vaping is not a safe way to quit - e-liquids contain toxins and often nicotine
Benefits begin within 20 minutes and continue for 15+ years
Action Plan: Step 1 – rescue inhaler; Step 2 – call if it is not working
Clear signs that warrant calling the office or 911
Prevention: handwashing, avoiding sick people, quitting smoking
Exercise is more therapeutic than the best medication
Three-part program: warm-up, cardiovascular, muscle strengthening
Good symptoms (expected) vs. bad symptoms (stop and call doctor)
Most important non-medication treatment for COPD
Usually 4–18 weeks, covered by insurance, repeat every 18 months
Combines education + supervised exercise
Smoking cessation is the single most important action
Maintenance (daily) vs. Rescue (as-needed) inhalers
Detailed technique for Dry Powder Inhalers and Mist Inhalers (with and without spacer)
Six common diagnostic tests beyond (and including) spirometry
Spirometry can detect COPD before symptoms appear
GOLD stages: Mild (1), Moderate (2), Severe (3), Very severe (4)
