title: Palliation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a progressive course with a variable illness trajectory causing death either from respiratory failure or complications from its comorbities. Palliative care benefits patients throughout all stages of COPD, with a goal to manage patients' symptom burden which can reduce physical, psychological, and social complications. Dyspnea is the most common and distressing symptom patients with end stage COPD experience, which responds only partially to therapy and eventually becomes refractory to routine care. Palliative management goals aim at relieving refractory symptoms, improving function, and enhancing quality of life in patients with advanced illness and high symptom burden. Caregivers and informed patients can utilize palliative care resources to provide effective relief from refractory dyspnea and help patients maintain a dignified quality-of-life until the end of life. This review is focused on identifying current deficiencies in palliative care provided to patients with advanced COPD with attempts to overcome these. We hope to increase awareness of palliative care in advanced COPD to healthcare providers caring for this population of patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospice and Palliative Care Fellow, Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ashima A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Palliative Medicine Director, VA Western New York Healthcare System, 3495 Bailey Ave, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA. Email: amy.case@va.gov.
authors.forename: Amy A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Case
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); emphysema; end-of-life; goals of care; palliative; quality of life; support; supportive care; symptom(s)