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Table 6 Management of the patient with ILD/IPF

From: Diagnosis and management of interstitial lung disease

â–ª Establish a partnership with the patient to provide a patient-centered, personalized medicine care plan

▪ Provide supplemental oxygen if indicated (keep SpO2 ≥90%)

â–ª Provide patients with:

  · During exertion

  · Nocturnal during sleep

 • Useful information concerning   the nature of their disease   and its prognosis

  · Continuous if indicated

 • Treatment options   accompanied by   thoughtful counseling

â–ª Detect and treat co-morbidities and complications:

  · Enrollment in clinical trials

  · Gastroesophageal reflux    disease

  · Off-label therapies    (e.g. corticosteroids,    cytoxic drugs, other agents)

  · Cardiovascular disease

  · Lung transplantation

  · Drug toxicity (if treated)

  · Best supportive care

  · Sleep-disordered breathing

â–ª Use disease-specific monitoring (for prognostication and treatment decisions)

  · Secondary pulmonary    hypertension

  · Pulmonary function testing    (FVC, DLCO, 6-MWT)

  · Metabolic bone disease    (osteopenia, osteoporosis)

  · Thoracic imaging

  · Anemia

  · Dyspnea score

  · Anxiety & depression

â–ª Pulmonary rehabilitation (optimal exercise program, patient education)

â–ª Maintain ideal body-mass index (weight reduction if obese, improved nutrition if cachectic)

â–ª Vaccinations (pneumococcal vaccine, seasonal influenza, others as indicated)

  1. DLCO = diffusion capacity of the lung for CO; FVC = forced vital capacity; 6-MWT = six-minute walk test; SpO2 = oxyhemoglobin percent saturation.