Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Primary Care - From Diagnosis to Therapy

The Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD guidelines (GOLD, 2010) and the UK National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines (NICE, 2010) recommend an early diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in any patient over the age of 35 who has chronic cough (present intermittently or every day throughout the day), chronic sputum production, shortness of breath (dyspnoea), frequent winter ‘bronchitis’ or wheeze and/or a history of exposure to disease risk factors.