Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

COPD is the most common chronic condition in the UK and it varies in severity from mild through to disabling and severe disease with respiratory failure. The treatment of the disease is tailored to the severity of the symptoms and the cornerstones are stopping smoking, inhaled bronchodilator and inhaled corticosteroid therapy. Preoperative assessment of patients with COPD needs to be thorough; remember that these patients may have concomitant ischaemic heart disease. Patients with severe COPD are at particularly high risk when given intravenous sedatives, opiates or general anaesthetics.