NICE publishes updated COPD guideline

NICE has published an update to its 2010 guidance on the diagnosis and management of COPD which makes recommendations on the most effective inhaled therapies, oxygen therapies, lung volume reduction procedures, and self-management and exacerbation plans.

The guidance contains discrepancies with the recently updated GOLD guidance on the prevention, diagnosis and management of COPD so PCRS will shortly be publishing an update to its own COPD guidance Treatment Guidelines for COPD – Going for Gold? to enable healthcare professionals to navigate their way through these conflicting guidelines. In the interim, our current guidance remains valid and is consistent with the latest update to the GOLD guidance.

NICE has also published new guidance on antimicrobial prescribing for acute COPD exacerbations which aims to optimise antibiotic use and reduce antibiotic resistance.