Summary: The latest and most important guidelines for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are based not only on the increasingly newer recommendations and levels of reliability of scientific data, but most of all on clinical observations of practitioners. The current update includes several changes and amendments that are very important from a practical point of view. The guidelines present different patterns of modification of the initial pharmacological treatment depending on whether the patient has symptoms or exacerbations of COPD. The number of eosinophils in the blood (< 100/ml low probability of benefit from treatment, > 300/ml – high probability) should be taken into consideration when deciding on the inclusion of GKS and their possible discontinuation. If the patient has both symptoms and exacerbations, the procedure should be the same as in patients with exacerbations.