Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Spirometry to Confirm Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

by Dr. Trupti Shirole on Oct 18 2016 5:28 PM

 Spirometry to Confirm Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of obstructive lung disease characterized by long-term poor airflow.
Spirometry should be performed to establish the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in any patient who has a history of chronic cough, sputum production, difficulty breathing, or exposure to risk factors, suggested  the recommendations of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) for COPD.

A study conducted at the Corpus Christi Medical Center in South Texas assessed the accuracy of diagnoses and utilization of spirometry in multiple primary care clinics.

65 patient records were reviewed and only 29% of the patients had spirometry testing or had results available. Surprisingly, 31.6% of the patients diagnosed with COPD were misclassified because the spirometric measurements did not confirm the disease.

"There is a strong need for education and training on multiple levels related to the diagnosis of COPD, one of the most common conditions treated by primary care clinicians. GOLD guidelines provide clear standards on which patients to evaluate with spirometry and how to perform and interpret the tests. Applying the updated guidelines in primary care will greatly improve the rate and accuracy of diagnosis, the first step toward proper treatment." says Dr. Stephen Eikermann, lead researcher.

The study abstract is available online in the journal CHEST.

Source-Eurekalert


Advertisement