title: Therapy of chronic obstructive airways disease.
abstract: The most frequently employed measure in attempts to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD) is to prescribe medications. However, COAD is largely an irreversible condition and no therapeutic intervention has been shown to be universally useful. Theophylline or corticosteroid are occasionally helpful but most patients will not benefit. Of the remaining options, only oxygen has been shown to be effective in selected patients and should be administered on a continuous basis. It is becoming increasingly evident that clinicians should be more discriminating when making therapeutic decisions for persons with COAD. Maintenance therapy with pharmacological agents should be entertained only after individually conducted therapeutic trials. Moreover, enormous costs can result from treating even a small fraction of the population estimated to have COAD.
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D005100:Expectorants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013566:Sympathomimetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013806:Theophylline / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000996:Antitussive Agents; D005100:Expectorants; D013566:Sympathomimetics; D013806:Theophylline; D010100:Oxygen