Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Diagnosis: New Insights

CAPTURE, screening tool was able to identify roughly half of primary care patients with COPD that could benefit from available treatments.

CAPTURE, the new screening tool developed helps primary care physicians identify chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The results of the study were published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Screening tools are commonly used in primary care settings to identify a number of medical conditions, but CAPTURE would be among the first with proven results to identify COPD.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPD includes respiratory tract disorders that cause obstruction to airflow. These are chronic bronchitis, emphysema and small airway disease.

‘COPD is a disease that affects an estimated 5% of the population. Roughly half of the people living with COPD in the United States are undiagnosed, and many have severe disease when they are finally diagnosed.’

Undiagnosed patients experience poor health and a risk of acute respiratory events, hospitalization and mortality. Earlier diagnosis and treatment intervention can slow the progression of COPD and potentially prevent the disease.

“There are national guidelines on how often mammograms and other lifesaving screenings should be done, but there are no recommended tools for COPD screening. The CAPTURE questionnaire will help physicians screen for COPD,” said Barry Make, MD, co-director of the COPD program at National Jewish Health and co-senior author of the study.

Screening Tool for COPD

For the study, patients without prior COPD diagnosis were enrolled in primary care networks across the U.S. All patients were asked five questions. In patients with intermediate scores, peak flow was measured. “We wanted to identify not just COPD, but clinically significant COPD,” said Dr. Make.

“This is a necessary step to help narrow the gap in the number of undiagnosed COPD patients,” continued Dr. Make. “Primary care is a key setting to establish this disease, as it represents patients with less severe disease and diverse and rural populations.”

Quiz on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects millions of people worldwide and is responsible for numerous deaths due to complications. Here is a quiz on the various aspects of COPD.

According to Fernando Martinez, MD, chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a co-lead in the study, “Moreover, it shows the robust nature of this collaborative relationship between numerous stakeholders, particularly primary care-based research networks.”

Source-Eurekalert

The Lungs
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