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Respiratory - Your COPD Action Plan

PATIENT NAME:    

This plan will help you: Learn how to identify and manage flare- ups (exacerbations). The earlier you spot a flare up and step up your treatment the better.

Look out for these symptoms and follow the plan inside this leaflet.

More coughing than usual. More breathless than usual. More phlegm than usual. Phlegm changing colour to dark yellow/green or brown.

Contact Numbes

GP: 

Out of hours GP: 111

CAST: 0161 206 3165

How to treat flare-ups of your COPD using your rescue pack 

More breathlessness or wheeze than usual? Increase your blue reliever inhaler to 4 puffs ever 2-4 hours OR if you have a nebuliser for your reliever use it every 4 hours. If this does not help OR you are much worse than normal take 40mg of Prednisolone (8 x 5mg tablets) every morning for 5 days or see your GP for a review. More cough and phlegm than usual? Cough into a white tissue. If your phlegm changes colour (dark yellow, green or brown) and remains discoloured, start your antibiotics and seek further medical advice. Send a sputum sample to your GP. Contact your GP practice to arrange for a COPD review and/or to restock your rescue antibiotic and steroid tablet.

Feeling much worse or not improving? If your symptoms are getting worse despite treatment or you are struggling to cope at home then seek medical advice. Telephone your GP or 111 out of hours. Very severe symptoms? If you develop chest pain, sudden very severe breathlessness, confusion or are feeling very drowsy then seek further medical advice.

REMEMBER ambulances and Accident and Emergency are for life threatening emergencies

Staying well

  • Keep warm! Your living room temperature should be around 21 degrees and your bedroom between 16 and 18 degrees
  • Keep active! Many people with COPD reduce their activity levels to avoid becoming breathless, but if you do this you will become less fit and more breathless when you are active. Ask your GP or nurse about Better Breathing activity classes for COPD
  • Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Try to keep good sleeping habits
  • Have a flu vaccination every year and a pneumonia jab at least once
  • Stopping smoking is the most important thing you can do to prevent your COPD getting worse. It is never too late to quit. Ask your doctor or nurse about how you can get help to stop smoking.  Specialist Stop Smoking Service - Health Improvement Service Telephone: 0800 952 1000
  • Take your medicines regularly as prescribed. Make sure that your doctor or nurse has checked that you can use your inhalers correctly
  • Even if you are well, make sure you see your practice nurse at least once a year for a COPD check up

You can get more information, help, advice and support for COPD from:

The British Lung Foundation
Helpline: 03000 030 555
Website: www.blf.org.uk
 

Date of Review: January 2024
Date of Next Review: January 2026
Ref No_ PI_M_1685 (Salford)

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