Respiratory care: clinical guidance and practice resources
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- Guidelines
- Related conditions
- Patient education
Guidelines, related conditions and patient education resources for chronic respiratory conditions
Chronic respiratory conditions are common, often progressive and significantly affect patients’ daily functioning and quality of life.
Family physicians play a central role in the early recognition, diagnosis and long-term management of respiratory disease, coordinating care across clinical settings and over time. This page provides evidence-based clinical guidance and patient education resources to support family physicians in caring for patients with chronic respiratory conditions and related comorbidities.
Guidelines and recommendations
Clinical practice guidelines
COPD exacerbation management
The guideline, Pharmacologic Management of COPD Exacerbations, was developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and approved by the Board of Directors in April 2021. The guideline was then published in the American Family Physician.
Key recommendations
Systemic antibiotics should be prescribed for adults with acute exacerbations of COPD to improve clinical cure and reduce clinical failure. Choice of antibiotic should be based on local resistance patterns, affordability, and patient history and preferences.
Systemic corticosteroids should be prescribed for adults with acute exacerbations of COPD to reduce clinical failure. There is insufficient evidence to guide the dose, route of administration, or duration of treatment.
The guideline panel also noted that short-acting bronchodilators are routinely used to improve symptoms in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Read the full recommendation.
Clinical preventive service recommendations
The AAFP supports the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) clinical preventive service recommendation on this topic. The task force concludes that Although COPD affects about 6% of U.S. adults and is a major cause of death, evidence shows that screening asymptomatic individuals does not improve outcomes. As a result, the USPSTF continues to recommend against COPD screening in adults who do not report respiratory symptoms. Read the full USPSTF recommendation.
Obstructive sleep apnea in adults is common and linked to serious health risks, including higher mortality, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, diabetes, cognitive impairment, reduced quality of life, and motor vehicle crashes. Although earlier data estimated notable prevalence among adults, the evidence remains inadequate to determine whether screening asymptomatic or unrecognized adults improves outcomes. USPSTF finds the current evidence insufficient to assess the benefits and harms of screening in the general adult population. Read the full USPSTF recommendation.
Increasing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination in adults 60 and older
Get up-to-date guidance to help you identify patients at higher risk for severe RSV and support informed conversations about vaccination. These resources cover recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, available vaccines, key risk factors and practical strategies for discussing RSV vaccination with adults 60 and older.
Webcast: The spectrum of COPD treatment
Funded with the American Thoracic Society
Improve your approach to COPD management
This free webcast covers care coordination best practices, co-morbidities associated with COPD, environmental factors and how social determinants of health influence the condition.
Webinar series: Interviewing for COPD
Funded with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Learn techniques for interviewing a patient who presents with dyspnea. Watch the webinar.
Learn how to assess a patient who presents with dyspnea. Watch the webinar.
Learn to interview a patient after recent exacerbation episodes. Watch the webinar.
Learn how to assess a patient with recent exacerbation episodes. Watch the webinar.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
You play a key role in identifying possible cases of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and referring patients early for diagnosis and treatment. This resource provides foundational information on IPF, including symptoms, risk factors, diagnostic challenges and tools to support earlier recognition in primary care. Learn more.
Patient education
The AAFP patient education website FamilyDoctor.org provides many patient-facing resources.