My 63-year-old brother has COPD and either a cold or the flu right now. His chest is feeling very tight and he is having a lot of difficulty breathing. Should he go to emergency, make an appointment to see a doctor, or call 911? He s scared and I don t know what to do.
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand your problem and situation. The most common cause for COPD worsening is viral infection. So his breathing difficulty is mostly due to cold. Better to consult pulmonologist and get done1. Chest x ray2. PUT (pulmonary function test)Chest x-ray is needed to rule out lung infection.PFT will tell you about severity of the COPD. And treatment is based on severity only. He may need inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroid with antibiotics. So better to visit emergency room and start treatment. Once this illness stabilize, get done adult respiratory vaccinations with influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, to prevent future lung infection.