COPD & Asthma Management

COPD (chronic bronchitis and emphysema) involves irreversible airflow limitation; patients often have a chronically elevated CO2 baseline, so in some COPD patients the hypoxic drive (not the usual CO2-based drive) stimulates breathing — a key reason oxygen is titrated carefully and conservatively rather than administered liberally in this population, since over-oxygenating can blunt their drive to breathe. Pursed-lip breathing helps by keeping airways open longer during exhalation, and tripod positioning (leaning forward, arms braced) reduces the work of breathing by optimizing accessory muscle use.