Symptomatic, frail, elderly patients: the urgent need for comprehensive assessment and management

Descripción:
The working hypotheses for screening and early diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been that: 1) long-term exposure to cigarette smoke or pollutants damages the airways and/or the lungs, and causes airflow obstruction; 2) airflow obstruction occurs primarily in the small airways, is asymptomatic in the early stages of the disease and is progressive in the majority of COPD patients; and 3) forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and its ratio with forced vital capacity are necessary in establishing the diagnosis of COPD, and in assessing the excessive decline in lung function, but are of little use, if any, in making the early, pre-symptomatic diagnosis of COPD.

Como citar:

Clini E, Beghe B, Fabbri LM. Symptomatic, frail, elderly patients: the urgent need for comprehensive assessment and management Eur Respir J. 2014 Dec;44(6):1397-400. Available at: http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/6/1397.long

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