[Recommendations for end-of-life care in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Over the last 20 years, advances in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have improved survival even among patients in the most advanced stages of the disease, such as those requiring domiciliary oxygen therapy.1,2 This improvement—in principle a positive development—has given rise to considerable clinical problems associated with the establishment of a therapeutic ceiling and the difficulty of determining prognosis in some of these patients. In this situation, the clinician should consider introducing palliative care, that is, care aimed at improving symptom control, communication, physical activity, and emotional support, in order to achieve the best…