Self Management Plan for COPD

This is your personal management plan.

The aim of this plan is to help you have better control of your chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It will enable you to monitor your symptoms and to know what to do if you have a flare up (exacerbation) A flare up is a rapid and sustained worsening of your symptoms that may warrant a change to your regular treatment.

This plan includes sections for recording medication, monitoring symptoms and treating exacerbations, please bring this with you whenever you see a medical professional. 

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Date of Birth:

NHS Number:

Your GP:

Practice Name and Number:

Community Respiratory Nurse:

My COPD symptoms when well

Breathlessness score
My normal Breathlessness (MRC) score is ________

My usual respiratory medication is:

Sputum production
The normal colour of your sputum is ________________

How much sputum do you produce each day? _________

Cough
Do you normally have a cough? ____________________

Swollen ankles
Do you normally have ankle swelling? _______________

How do I keep well?

• DON’T SMOKE. If you are still smoking please ask for help, it’s never too late to stop
• Take daily exercise and attend the Pulmonary Rehabilitation course if you are able to
• Eat a good balanced diet
• Drink plenty of liquids
• Plan ahead and have things to look forward to
• Always have enough medications. Never run out
• Take all medication regularly as prescribed whether you think they help at the time or not
• Make sure you get your seasonal vaccinations such as the flu vaccine.

When you are well and stable

When you are well and your condition is stable, the following actions will help you to stay healthy and reduce the risk of developing a flare up:

Practice breathing control daily
Practicing your breathing control daily will help you when you are active and getting breathless and will help you manage a sudden onset of breathlessness:

1. Relax your upper chest and shoulders, breathe in through your nose and you should feel your stomach move out

2. Breathe out through your mouth and you should feel your stomach move in

I practice breathing control for _____ minutes _____ times a day.

Your COPD may be getting worse if you have any of the following symptoms

• More breathless than usual
• Chest tighter than usual
• New or worsening wheeze
• An increase in the amount or change in colour of your sputum
• A new or worsening cough
• New or worsening ankle swelling
• Feeling you need to use more of your reliever medication
• Less able to do your normal activities or they are taking longer because of shortness of breath.

What action to take if your COPD symptoms are getting worse
Increase reliever medication to the following:

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

• Balance activity with plenty of rest
• Eat little and often
• Drink plenty of fluids
• If you are producing more phlegm  remember to do your chest clearance exercises.

Continue to monitor your symptoms closely

• If your symptoms improve within two days, continue your usual medication
• If they are no better after two days then move to the Amber Zone.

What to do if you have a flare up

If you are no better or getting worse after two days then start your rescue medication. If you do not have rescue medication at home, seek medical review by contacting your GP or 111.

Standby rescue medication

Steroids (prednisolone)
If you are much more breathless than normal, and your daily living activities are affected, continue with increased reliever medication and start taking prednisolone.

Dose of prednisolone 5mg Take __ tablets once a day for __ days

Take the prednisolone tablets together in the morning with food.

Antibiotics
If the colour of your sputum changes from your normal colour start your antibiotics.

Antibiotic: ____________________________________

Dose: _________________________________________

If you experience a flare up of COPD, and start prednisolone and/or antibiotics, ALWAYS advise your _______________________ as soon as possible and make an appointment in two weeks. Remember to get your rescue medication renewed.

If you need help out of hours, please call 111.

Emergency symptoms of COPD

Severe symptoms – what you and your carer should look out for

• You are severely breathless or have difficulty breathing
• You are not beginning to feel better after one or two days of taking your rescue medication at home
• You feel drowsy
• You are agitated or confused
• You have chest pain
• You have a high fever
• You have worsening ankle/leg swelling
• You can’t cope at home.

If this is you, call and ask for an urgent consultation. If you are unable to do so, dial 999 for an ambulance.

If you do go to hospital by ambulance, take this booklet with you and tell the paramedic you have COPD. The
information on the back of this booklet will help them and the hospital staff know what treatment to give you.

Record of flare ups

Please complete this section yourself.

To be completed by your health care professional

Lung measurements should be assessed every year. Please make an appointment with the practice when the check up is due.

Pneumonia vaccination (once)
Date:

Smoking history
If smoked, how many years: _____  

How many per day: _____

Remember it’s never too late to stop smoking.
For further information, visit:

www.maketobaccohistory.co.uk

www.livewelldorset.co.uk/stop-smoking

www.asthmaandlung.org.uk

About this booklet

With thanks NHS Lothian, NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham for their permission to adapt their COPD booklets.