title: [Maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recommend that disease severity should be decisive for the choice of drug.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records for patients with COPD were reviewed and an overview was made of the different drugs used for maintenance treatment. We examined the correspondence between drug classes used and guideline recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glucocorticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators are used more frequently for maintenance treatment than anticholinergic drugs and short-acting bronchodilators. The severity of COPD does not influence the prescription of glucocorticosteroides and long-acting bronchodilators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physician's first choice of drug seems to continue as maintenance treatment. The results suggest that glucocorticosteroids are used more frequently than recommended by the COPD treatment guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Pfizer AS, Postboks 3, 1324 Lysaker. trude.tangen.volla@pfizer.com
authors.forename: Trude Tangen
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Volla
authors.forename: Gry Stine
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kopperud
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014970:Xanthines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists; D014970:Xanthines