[International guidelines for the assessment and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Western countries, and is the fourth leading cause of death in North America. A number of the guidelines regarding the management and treatment of COPD have been published in recent years. These guidelines were generated in response to the fact that COPD is a major cause of mortality and morbidity, and remains an important social problem. In the guidelines, COPD is defined as a disorder characterized by airflow limitation due to chronic bronchitis and emphysema; the airflow limitation progresses slowly, and does not change markedly over several months.
Nishimura
K
K
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University.
Tsukino
M
M
Hajiro
T
T
D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index