A good mnemonic should be self-suggestive & a piece of cake to recall . Random sentences, unrelated words or non-pattern letters used as mnemonics are for the birds 🐦🐥 – they throw you under the bus by being difficult to recall when you need them. Luckily for us, the term C.O.P.D. covers a wide range of management basics related to COPD. Let’s get straight to it:
Treatment of COPD exaceration a.k.a. Acute COPD)
A – Antibiotics (even if no infection signs, add a short course of Doxycycline or Azithromycin)
C – Corticosteroids ( Oral or IV + Inhaled)
O – Oxygen to keep O2 sats at 92-94% (Dangerous of overdo O2 Sats in COPD)
P – Positive pressure ventilation (BiPAP if needed) if pCO2 climbs, Phlegm control
D – Duonebs & other BronchoDilators
Now, If your COPD exacerbation patient ain’t recovering fast enough, or gets readmitted soon after discharge, or gets recurrent exacerbations in a year, these are differentials & co-existing conditions to rule out and treat:
A – Aspiration (including GERD)
C – CHF
O – Obstruction (airway) due to Cancers, thick Mucous plugs or Bronchietasis
P – Pneumonia, Pneumothorax, Pulmonary Embolism (16-20% incidence of PE in COPD exacerbation in some studies)
D – Dysrhythmias, Dementia (forgets taking meds at home)
What are the cardinal symptoms of COPD ?
C – Cough
O – Oxygen needs up
P – Phelgm more voluminous, thicker or more purulent
D – Dyspnea
And lastly, what are the risk factors for COPD? Smoking is the big one of course:
C – Cigarette Smoking
O – Occupational exposure to fumes/dust/chemicals
P – Pollution, Pneumonias in childhood
D – Deficiency of Alpha-1-AntiTrypsin (family history much ?)
