Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Aspects of respiratory disease in primary care
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

The ever increasing impact that COPD is having on society imposes new strategies of intervention.
We have asked 73 Italian GPs to collect clinical history and functional data (Tele-FVC: [dsquote]Spirotel-MIR[dsquote]) from patients at risk for COPD (smokers, chronic bronchitis), and patients considered to be affected by COPD. Complete data were available for 237 (86%) out of 274 patients, which were clinically categorized as follows: 158 patients at risk for COPD (24 smokers and 134 patients with simple chronic bronchitis); and 79 patients considered to be affected by COPD.
The spirometry results confirmed the clinical categorization in 147 (62%) out of 237 cases, and did not in 90 (36%)cases.
Of the 158 patients classified clinically as at risk for COPD (smokers and chronic bronchitis), 70(44%)were affected by bronchial obstruction (missed diagnosis), while of the 79 patients considered clinically to be affected by COPD, 20 (25%) did not show bronchial obstruction (overdiagnosis).
For 59 (46%) of the 129 patients affected by bronchial obstruction, this was the first ever spirometry.
These data demonstrate the usefulness of GP's telespirometry, performed in order to rationalize medical intervention in patients affected by, or at risk of, COPD.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
M. Bonavia, G. Averame, E. Barisione, R. Cancelli, A. Quaglia (Arenzano, Genoa, Italy). Telespirometry performed by the general practicioner (GP): a useful method to contain the burden of COPD. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 2978

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