[Contemporary strategy and guideline of COPD therapy]

Actual treatment of COPD is not able to reduce and suppress the inflammation in small airways and lung parenchyma. For this reason the important target is an elimination of risk factors responsible for disease progress, that should be combined with patients education and smoking cessation. The role of viral and bacterial infections in exacerbations of COPD is well known. The guidelines of COPD therapy show that long acting beta2-agonists and cholinolytics are basic bronchial dilators, but glucocorticosteroids may be applied in III or IV stages of disease and only in patients with good response. At the end stage of COPD long-term oxygen therapy lung volume reduction surgery and lung transplantation should be considered.