title: [Use of a lung function screening device for identifying patients at risk for COPD in general practice].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Screening measures can facilitate the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and help save costs and time. We examined whether use of a lung function screener (Vitalograph copd-6™) can help general practitioners to identify patients at risk for COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 17,856 patients aged > 40 years (smokers/ex-smokers with cough and/or exertional dyspnoea) general practitioners measured prebronchodilator FEV1 [% of predicted] and FEV1/FEV6 with the lung function screening device. In addition, the general practitioners completed a questionnaire on symptoms, history and planned measures and estimated whether or not the patient was at risk for COPD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2927 patients (16.7 %) an FEV1/FEV6 < 70 % was measured; 88.2 % of these were classed by the doctors as being at risk for COPD. The total number of all patients with suspected COPD was considerably greater (10,000; 56 % of the total population); in only 25.3 % was an FEV1/FEV6 < 70 % documented. Compared with patients without a suspicion of COPD, patients judged to be at risk for COPD in spite of an FEV1/FEV6 ≥ 70 % were more often male, had more cigarette pack years and more often had dyspnoea, but less often cough, as main symptom. They had more concomitant diseases and previous hospitalisations, more prescriptions for bronchodilators, glucocorticoids and antibiotics in the past year and lower FEV1 values. In 61.3 % of the patients with suspected COPD the general practitioners planned further evaluation by spirometry, in 39.9 % referral to a pulmonologist as alternative or additional procedures were suggested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients with an FEV1/FEV6 < 70 % measured with the lung function screener Vitalograph copd-6™ were classed by the general practitioners as being at risk for COPD. Even in patients with unremarkable FEV1/FEV6 values the diagnosis of suspected COPD was often made if clinical signs or symptoms or a reduced FEV1 pointed to such a suspicion.
authors.affiliation: Pfizer, Med. Wissenschaft, Berlin.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kögler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Glaab
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Welte
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013147:Spirometry / Q000295:instrumentation*