Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by chronic airflow limitation that is slowly progressive and not fully reversible. Steroid-based therapy is widely used in the treatment of different diseases especially in disease such as COPD. The pharmacological treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has evolved largely from the drugs used to treat asthma. The therapeutic benefits of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) that are evident in asthma are less clear-cut in COPD. There is some evidence of a preventive effect of ICS on exacerbations in patients with COPD, but there is little evidence for an effect on mortality or lung function decline. As a result, treatment guidelines recommend the use of ICS in patients with severe or very severe disease (forced expiratory volume in 1 second <50% predicted) and repeated exacerbations.
Keywords : Copd, Inhaled Corticosteroids(Ics), Acute Exacerbation of Copd (Aecopd), Oesophageal Candidiasis.