Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Jun 2017
ReviewThe earlier, the better: Impact of early diagnosis on clinical outcome in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a complex disease with a highly variable clinical course and generally poor prognosis. Classified as a rare disease, significant increases in incidence have been recorded worldwide in recent years. Left untreated IPF is extremely debilitating with substantial personal, social and economic implications. ⋯ The importance of early and accurate diagnosis of IPF cannot be underestimated and it is the duty of all healthcare professionals to be vigilant to the symptoms of IPF and to involve a multidisciplinary team in diagnosing and managing IPF early in the course of disease.