International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2013
ReviewA challenge to the seven widely believed concepts of COPD.
This review proposes a critical reassessment (based entirely on published evidence) of the following seven common beliefs about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): (1) COPD is one disease. (2) There is a valid definition for COPD. (The current definition includes cases of irreversible asthma and bronchiectasis, and occasionally, other obstructive lung conditions). (3) Irreversible asthma in smokers and COPD cannot be differentiated. (4) A "chronic bronchitis" form of COPD exists and is characterized by blue bloater status and normal carbon monoxide diffusion studies. (5) Phenotyping has no bearing on medication choice in COPD. (6) Computerized scoring of lung attenuation on CT scans can diagnose emphysema. (Emphysema scores overlap in irreversible asthma and COPD); however, qualitative visual changes may be useful for differentiation. (7) A definable entity called the overlap (of COPD and asthma) syndrome exists. Conflict over the above-mentioned points denies patients proper phenotype-guided therapy and encourages a multidrug approach to COPD management. The recently coined term, overlap syndrome, invites a double-barreled therapy aimed at asthma and COPD, despite the absence of any agreement about how to define the syndrome and the lack of any related drug trials (in the area of inhaled corticosteroids). A diagnosis of COPD is associated with high morbidity and escalating costs, suggesting the need for a thorough new examination of the evidence.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2013
Development and validation of a model to predict the risk of exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Prediction models for exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are scarce. Our aim was to develop and validate a new model to predict exacerbations in patients with COPD. ⋯ Our newly developed prediction model can help clinicians to predict the risk of future exacerbations in individual patients with COPD, including those with mild disease.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2013
Risk assessment of readmissions following an initial COPD-related hospitalization.
Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of hospitalizations and readmissions in the US. Reducing the frequency of hospital readmission is a high priority of US health care organizations and government agencies. This study evaluated the risk factors associated with readmissions among commercially insured adults aged 40-65 years in the US who were hospitalized for COPD. ⋯ A relatively high readmission rate was observed for patients aged 40-65 years. The results suggest that attention to patient comorbidities and pre-index/index health care service utilization may help identify hospitalized COPD patients at higher risk for readmission.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2013
The development and pilot testing of the self-management programme of activity, coping and education for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (SPACE for COPD).
There is no independent standardized self-management approach available for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this project was to develop and test a novel self-management manual for individuals with COPD. ⋯ This article describes the development and delivery of a novel self-management approach for COPD. The program, incorporating the SPACE for COPD manual, appears to provoke important changes in exercise capacity and breathlessness for individuals with COPD managed in primary care.
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Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis · Jan 2013
Shrinking the room for invasive ventilation in hypercapnic respiratory failure.
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) was introduced as an alternative to invasive mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure caused from exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the 1980s, and its use gradually rose worldwide. Seventy-eight patients (57 males, mean age 78.3 ± 9.2 years) undergoing NIV were evaluated. Of them, 48 (62.3%) had acute hypercapnic respiratory failure because of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, and the remaining 30 had acute hypercapnic respiratory failure from other causes, mainly cardiac failure. ⋯ Significant differences were detected for a higher basal Glasgow Coma Scale score in successfully treated patients (P = 0.007), a higher basal Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score in unsuccessfully treated patients (P = 0.004), and a lower pH after 1 hour in unsuccessfully treated patients (P = 0.015). These findings show a very high rate of success of NIV in patients with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure not only from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but also from cardiac failure. This suggests that the use of invasive mechanical ventilation may be further reduced, with a decrease in its known complications as well.