Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is underdiagnosed. One barrier to diagnosis is the limited availability of spirometry testing, but in adults at risk for COPD, a normal pre-bronchodilator (pre-BD) peak expiratory flow (PEF) may rule out clinically significant COPD. OBJECTIVE: To identify post-BD airway obstruction using data from 13 708 individuals aged ≥40 years from the PLATINO and BOLD studies. METHODS: We evaluated different cut-off points of pre-BD. The PEF was obtained from a diagnostic-quality spirometer (not a mechanical PEF meter). At least one of the following COPD risk factors was present in 77% of the subjects: chronic respiratory symptoms; exposure to tobacco smoke, biomass smoke or dust in the workplace; or a previous diagnosis of asthma, COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis. RESULTS: Although the positive predictive value was low as expected, a pre-BD PEF of ≥70% predicted effectively ruled out Stages III and IV COPD of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Among those with at least one risk factor, only 12% would require confirmatory spirometry using this criterion. CONCLUSIONS: Adding PEF measurement to a screening questionnaire may rule out severe to very severe COPD without the need for pre- and post-BD spirometry testing. Confirmation is needed from a study using inexpensive PEF meters or pocket spirometers with a staged screening protocol.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 387-393 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - Mar 2009 |
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Keywords
- BOLD
- COPD
- PEF
- PLATINO
- Screening
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Cite this
Can a normal peak expiratory flow exclude severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? / Perez-Padilla, Rogelio; Vollmer, W. M.; Vázquez-García, J. C.; Enright, P. L.; Menezes, A. M B; Buist, A (Sonia).
In: International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Vol. 13, No. 3, 03.2009, p. 387-393.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Can a normal peak expiratory flow exclude severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
AU - Perez-Padilla, Rogelio
AU - Vollmer, W. M.
AU - Vázquez-García, J. C.
AU - Enright, P. L.
AU - Menezes, A. M B
AU - Buist, A (Sonia)
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is underdiagnosed. One barrier to diagnosis is the limited availability of spirometry testing, but in adults at risk for COPD, a normal pre-bronchodilator (pre-BD) peak expiratory flow (PEF) may rule out clinically significant COPD. OBJECTIVE: To identify post-BD airway obstruction using data from 13 708 individuals aged ≥40 years from the PLATINO and BOLD studies. METHODS: We evaluated different cut-off points of pre-BD. The PEF was obtained from a diagnostic-quality spirometer (not a mechanical PEF meter). At least one of the following COPD risk factors was present in 77% of the subjects: chronic respiratory symptoms; exposure to tobacco smoke, biomass smoke or dust in the workplace; or a previous diagnosis of asthma, COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis. RESULTS: Although the positive predictive value was low as expected, a pre-BD PEF of ≥70% predicted effectively ruled out Stages III and IV COPD of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Among those with at least one risk factor, only 12% would require confirmatory spirometry using this criterion. CONCLUSIONS: Adding PEF measurement to a screening questionnaire may rule out severe to very severe COPD without the need for pre- and post-BD spirometry testing. Confirmation is needed from a study using inexpensive PEF meters or pocket spirometers with a staged screening protocol.
AB - BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is underdiagnosed. One barrier to diagnosis is the limited availability of spirometry testing, but in adults at risk for COPD, a normal pre-bronchodilator (pre-BD) peak expiratory flow (PEF) may rule out clinically significant COPD. OBJECTIVE: To identify post-BD airway obstruction using data from 13 708 individuals aged ≥40 years from the PLATINO and BOLD studies. METHODS: We evaluated different cut-off points of pre-BD. The PEF was obtained from a diagnostic-quality spirometer (not a mechanical PEF meter). At least one of the following COPD risk factors was present in 77% of the subjects: chronic respiratory symptoms; exposure to tobacco smoke, biomass smoke or dust in the workplace; or a previous diagnosis of asthma, COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis. RESULTS: Although the positive predictive value was low as expected, a pre-BD PEF of ≥70% predicted effectively ruled out Stages III and IV COPD of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Among those with at least one risk factor, only 12% would require confirmatory spirometry using this criterion. CONCLUSIONS: Adding PEF measurement to a screening questionnaire may rule out severe to very severe COPD without the need for pre- and post-BD spirometry testing. Confirmation is needed from a study using inexpensive PEF meters or pocket spirometers with a staged screening protocol.
KW - BOLD
KW - COPD
KW - PEF
KW - PLATINO
KW - Screening
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62349140040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=62349140040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 19275802
AN - SCOPUS:62349140040
VL - 13
SP - 387
EP - 393
JO - International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
JF - International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
SN - 1027-3719
IS - 3
ER -