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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Would More Aggressive Treatment For Pneumonia Help With End Stage Breathing Comfort Being At The End Stage COPD?

Hi Dr. Goyal-- My 89-year-old mother is in end stage COPD & has been going through another bout of pneumonia. She has determined that she does not want to go to the hospital so is being treated at home through a palliative care program. Thus far, this care has involved 2 courses of antibiotics, 4 nebulizer treatments/day, expectorant cough syrup, codeine cough syrup for easing breathing, & morphine sulfate for dyspnea flares. Despite not wanting to go to the hospital, my mother has a strong will to keep on living. In your opinion, would more aggressively treating the pneumonia help with end-stage breathing comfort? If so, are there any other medical treatments you would recommend that would help in this regard? Thank you. (Ms.) Marty Jaye
posted on Fri, 20 Dec 2013
Twitter Wed, 25 Dec 2013 Answered on
Twitter Thu, 26 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on
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Emergency Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Hi. Your mother does need aggressive treatment for pneumonia as her Lung capacity is already very low due to COPD. You need to start IV Levofloxacin of IV moxifloxacin, stop the cough suppressant syrup as this will only reduce her ability to cough out sputum. Start nebulization with hypertonic saline as well.. this will liquify the sputum. Be more aggressive with chest physio. And give her home oxygen at 2 litres/ min . This will increase the comfort of her breathing
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Would More Aggressive Treatment For Pneumonia Help With End Stage Breathing Comfort Being At The End Stage COPD?

Hi. Your mother does need aggressive treatment for pneumonia as her Lung capacity is already very low due to COPD. You need to start IV Levofloxacin of IV moxifloxacin, stop the cough suppressant syrup as this will only reduce her ability to cough out sputum. Start nebulization with hypertonic saline as well.. this will liquify the sputum. Be more aggressive with chest physio. And give her home oxygen at 2 litres/ min . This will increase the comfort of her breathing