Ebook Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Consider the diagnosis of COPD in any smoker who has cough and sputum production . The majority of smokers do not notice even these symptoms on themselves. The diagnosis should be made early by spirometry. By this time, at the latest, the patient should give up smoking . According to international criteria (GOLD, www.goldcopd.com), FEV1/FVC in COPD is below 0.7 after bronchodilatation . Different countries may apply their own reference values in the diagnostics of COPD. Most important differential diagnostic problem is asthma. Asthma and COPD may also be present concurrently, and many asthmatics smoke.