Medicine Grand Rounds, Brad Drummond “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease — Where We Are in 2018”

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the umbrella term for the group of tobacco-related lung diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 650,000 North Carolinians living with COPD. Recent guidelines have proposed a multidimensional assessment to define disease control and inform appropriate inhaler selection. With more than 18 FDA-approved maintenance inhalers available for COPD, including multiple delivery devices, selection of appropriate inhaler and device can be complex. Dr. Drummond will review the recent updates to the COPD management guidelines, as well as discuss emerging evidence regarding the role of peak inspiratory flow measurements to inform optimal inhaler selection for COPD patients.

Dr. Drummond is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine. He is the Director of the UNC Obstructive Lung Diseases Clinical and Translational Research Center located at the Meadowmont Facility. Dr. Drummond’s research interests include characterizing the mechanisms for development of chronic lung disease in individuals at-risk or with COPD, with a focus on high-risk populations including persons living with HIV or those in rural residences.