title: The Saudi Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of COPD.
abstract: The Saudi Thoracic Society (STS) launched the Saudi Initiative for Chronic Airway Diseases (SICAD) to develop a guideline for the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This guideline is primarily aimed for internists and general practitioners. Though there is scanty epidemiological data related to COPD, the SICAD panel believes that COPD prevalence is increasing in Saudi Arabia due to increasing prevalence of tobacco smoking among men and women. To overcome the issue of underutilization of spirometry for diagnosing COPD, handheld spirometry is recommended to screen individuals at risk for COPD. A unique feature about this guideline is the simplified practical approach to classify COPD into three classes based on the symptoms as per COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and the risk of exacerbations and hospitalization. Those patients with low risk of exacerbation (<2 in the past year) can be classified as either Class I when they have less symptoms (CAT < 10) or Class II when they have more symptoms (CAT ≥ 10). High-risk COPD patients, as manifested with ≥2 exacerbation or hospitalization in the past year irrespective of the baseline symptoms, are classified as Class III. Class I and II patients require bronchodilators for symptom relief, while Class III patients are recommended to use medications that reduce the risks of exacerbations. The guideline recommends screening for co-morbidities and suggests a comprehensive management approach including pulmonary rehabilitation for those with a CAT score ≥10. The article also discusses the diagnosis and management of acute exacerbations in COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Javed H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hani M S
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lababidi
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al-Moamary
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Zeitouni
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hamdan H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Al-Jahdali
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Omar S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Al-Amoudi
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Siraj O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Wali
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Majdy M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Idrees
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Shimemri
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Al Ghobain
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hassan S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Alorainy
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al-Hajjaj
keywords: Chronic bronchitis; Saudi Arabia; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; emphysema; guidelines