Understanding Basic COPD Treatment Guidelines in 2025

Are you a student or practicing NP looking to brush up on basic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment guidelines? Then be sure to check out this video by Paige Sensoy, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC! We’ll review the key aspects of the COPD treatment guidelines for 2025, which you can use in your daily practice or to prepare for the NP board exam:

What is COPD?

COPD is an umbrella term and with two main subtypes: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is progressive and irreversible, so treatment is aimed at preventing it from getting worse and minimizing the impact it’ll have on the patient’s quality of life.

Paige wraps up this section of the video by asking a key question: what’s the biggest risk factor for developing COPD? Can you guess the answer? (If you’re not sure, go to 1:50 in the video).

What are the key symptoms of COPD?

Symptoms can vary depending on the stage of COPD, but for patients with chronic bronchitis, a common symptom of COPD is a productive and chronic cough. For COPD patients with emphysema, dyspnea (breathlessness) is typical.

What are the COPD treatment groups?

Once diagnosed, a patient’s treatment will depend on how severe their condition is. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has guidelines to help organize COPD patients into treatment groups, which are as follows:

Group A: Lower symptom burden, low exacerbation risk

Treatments include a bronchodilator (LABA or LAMA preferred)

Group B: More day-to-day symptoms, low exacerbation risk

Treatments including a LABA and a LAMA (LABA + LAMA)

Group E (Not C): Higher symptom burden, higher exacerbation risk

Treatments include a LABA + a LAMA, as well as an inhaled ICS.

Note: it’s not enough to memorize the drug classes for COPD treatment when studying for your NP board exam! You’ll want to be able to identify some of the prominent drugs (maybe two) from each class. It’s also important to know the names of specific examples in case your exam doesn’t give you a drug class name.

Within each treatment group, there are a variety of options available for treating the patient. COPD treatment is flexible, and you shouldn’t be intimidated by the different options available to treat patients who fall into the A, B, or E strata. There are many options available to you, and flexibility is your friend!

So there’s an overview of COPD treatment guidelines in 2025. But we’ve barely scratched the surface! Be sure to watch the video to get a more comprehensive review. And subscribe to the SMNP YouTube channel, where you’ll find lots of great tips on how to get through NP school, crush your boards, and kickstart your NP career!

And for more NP learning, check out these other posts:

• NP Learning: Pediatric Musculoskeletal Conditions
• Diagnosing & Managing Anxiety as an NP in Primary Care
• NP Learning Professional Role: Levels of Evidence

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