COPD Essentials For Health Professionals
- Primary care providers have a key role in the diagnosis and management of COPD.
- Consider diagnosis of COPD in adults with shortness of breath, with or without symptoms of cough and sputum production.
- Risk factors other than cigarette smoking history are important. Ten to 20 percent of cases may be due to environmental and occupational exposures.
- Pulmonary function testing is useful for determining the severity of COPD and distinguishing from asthma.
- Therapies are effective. Proactive treatment can improve the quality of life for patients with COPD.
WHY COPD? WHY NOW?
- While other major causes of death have been decreasing, COPD mortality has continued to rise.
- COPD is the 4th leading cause of death.
- 12 million Americans are diagnosed with COPD;
research shows that many do not get optimal treatment.
- An additional 12 million Americans may have COPD
and remain undiagnosed.
- Recent advances in treatment for COPD offer real
opportunities to improve your patient's quality and
length of life.
RISK FACTORS
- Look for COPD in patients who are over 40 and have:
- Persistent or progressive dyspnea
- Chronic cough or sputum production
- Decline in level of activity
- COPD is more likely if there is a history of smoking.
- Genetic factors and environmental or occupational
exposures may also play a role: as many as 1 out of
6 Americans with COPD has never smoked.
DIAGNOSIS: PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTING
- Perform or refer for a lung function test—spirometry—
to determine the severity. Spirometry with bronchodilator
testing may distinguish COPD from asthma.
- A criterion for diagnosis of COPD is a postbronchodilator
FEV1/FVC<0.7.
TREATMENT
- Aggressive management of COPD can make a
difference for the patient.
- Advances in therapies have been shown to improve
survival or quality of life for COPD patients.
- COPD patients should receive professional assistance
for smoking cessation.
![Graphic indicating the progression of severity for treating COPD (least severe to most severe): Self-Management Education and Smoking Cessation; Bronchodilators; Inhaled Corticosteroids; Pulmonary Rehabilitation; Oxygen; Surgery.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090506203233im_/http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/images/diagram/treatment-chart.gif)
While there is no cure, early detection and treatment of COPD can slow the disease and improve quality of life. Learn more at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/.