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NHS misses opportunities to diagnose COPD

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NHS misses opportunities to diagnose COPD

Healthcare professionals are missing opportunities to diagnose earlier almost nine out of 10 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Lancet Respiratory Medicine reports.

Researchers retrospectively analysed 38,859 COPD patients from January 1, 1990, to Dec- ember 31, 2009. During the 20 years before the diagnosis of COPD, the proportion and frequency of patient consultations in primary and secondary care for lower respiratory symptoms, antibiotic and oral steroid prescriptions, and chest radiography, all increased.

The researchers identified missed opportunities to diagnose COPD in primary and secondary care in 85 per cent of patients in the five years before the condition was recognised.

Opportunities were also missed in 58 per cent of patients in the six to 10 years before the condition was recognised, in 42 per cent 11-15 years before and also in 8 per cent 16-20 years before.

The authors suggest that case finding in patients with lower respiratory tract symptoms and concordant chronic co-morbidities could improve COPD diagnosis rates. (The Lancet)

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