Copd: Investigation and Diagnosis

Key points

• COPD: investigation and diagnosis NICE recommend considering a diagnosis of COPD in patients over 35 years of age who are smokers or ex-smokers and have symptoms such as exertional breathlessness,
• post-bronchodilator spirometry to demonstrate airflow obstruction: FEV1/FVC ratio less than 70%
• chest x-ray: hyperinflation, bullae, flat hemidiaphragm. Also important to exclude lung cancer
• full blood count: exclude secondary polycythaemia
• body mass index (BMI) calculation The severity of COPD is categorised using the FEV1*: The severity of COPD is categorised using the FEV1*: FEV1 (of predicted) Post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC Severity Stage 1 - Mild** < 0.7 > 80% <…