scholarly journals Alternative methods for assessing bronchodilator reversibility in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Thorax ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 713-720
Author(s):  
J Hadcroft ◽  
P M A Calverley

BACKGROUNDBronchodilator reversibility testing is recommended in all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but does not predict improvements in breathlessness or exercise performance. Two alternative ways of assessing lung mechanics—measurement of end expiratory lung volume (EELV) using the inspiratory capacity manoeuvre and application of negative expiratory pressure (NEP) during tidal breathing to detect tidal airflow limitation—do relate to the degree of breathlessness in COPD. Their usefulness as end points in bronchodilator reversibility testing has not been examined.METHODSWe studied 20 patients with clinically stable COPD (mean age 69.9 (1.5) years, 15 men, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 29.5 (1.6)% predicted) with tidal flow limitation as assessed by their maximum flow-volume loop. Spirometric parameters, slow vital capacity (SVC), inspiratory capacity (IC), and NEP were measured seated, before and after nebulised saline, and at intervals after 5 mg nebulised salbutamol and 500 μg nebulised ipratropium bromide. The patients attended twice and the treatment order was randomised.RESULTSMean FEV1, FVC, SVC, and IC were unchanged after saline but the degree of tidal flow limitation varied. FEV1 improved significantly after salbutamol and ipratropium (0.11 (0.02) l and 0.09 (0.02) l, respectively) as did the other lung volumes with further significant increases after the combination. Tidal volume and mean expiratory flow increased significantly after all bronchodilators but breathlessness fell significantly only after the combination treatment. The initial NEP score was unrelated to subsequent changes in lung volume.CONCLUSIONSNEP is not an appropriate measurement of acute bronchodilator responsiveness. Changes in IC were significantly larger than those in FEV1and may be more easily detected. However, our data showed no evidence for separation of “reversible” and “irreversible” groups whatever outcome measure was adopted.

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1153
Author(s):  
Shih-Lung Cheng ◽  
Ching-Hsiung Lin

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, giving rise to an enormous social and economic burden. The Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD) report is one of the most frequently used documents for managing COPD patients worldwide. A survey was conducted across country-level members of Asia-Pacific Society of Respiratory (APSR) for collecting an updated version of local COPD guidelines, which were implemented in each country. This is the first report to summarize the similarities and differences among the COPD guidelines across the Asia-Pacific region. The degree of airflow limitation, assessment of COPD severity, management, and pharmacologic therapy of stable COPD will be reviewed in this report.


2011 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 1036-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Cremona ◽  
Joan A. Barbara ◽  
Teresa Melgosa ◽  
Lorenzo Appendini ◽  
Josep Roca ◽  
...  

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) improves lung function, respiratory symptoms, and exercise tolerance in selected patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who have heterogeneous emphysema. However, the reported effects of LVRS on gas exchange are variable, even when lung function is improved. To clarify how LVRS affects gas exchange in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 23 patients were studied before LVRS, 14 of whom were again studied afterwards. We performed measurements of lung mechanics, pulmonary hemodynamics, and ventilation-perfusion (V̇a/Q̇) inequality using the multiple inert-gas elimination technique. LVRS improved arterial Po2 (PaO2) by a mean of 6 Torr ( P = 0.04), with no significant effect on arterial Pco2 (PaCO2), but with great variability in both. Lung mechanical properties improved considerably more than did gas exchange. Post-LVRS PaO2 depended mostly on its pre-LVRS value, whereas improvement in PaO2 was explained mostly by improved V̇a/Q̇ inequality, with lesser contributions from both increased ventilation and higher mixed venous Po2. However, no index of lung mechanical properties correlated with PaO2. Conversely, post-LVRS PaCO2 bore no relationship to its pre-LVRS value, whereas changes in PaCO2 were tightly related ( r2 = 0.96) to variables, reflecting decrease in static lung hyperinflation (intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure and residual volume/total lung capacity) and increase in airflow potential (tidal volume and maximal inspiratory pressure), but not to V̇a/Q̇ distribution changes. Individual gas exchange responses to LVRS vary greatly, but can be explained by changes in combinations of determining variables that are different for oxygen and carbon dioxide.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (6) ◽  
pp. 1902-1908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Rodríguez-Roisin ◽  
Mitra Drakulovic ◽  
Diego A. Rodríguez ◽  
Josep Roca ◽  
Joan Albert Barberà ◽  
...  

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by a decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and, in many advanced patients, by arterial hypoxemia with or without hypercapnia. Spirometric and gas exchange abnormalities have not been found to relate closely, but this may reflect a narrow range of severity in patients studied. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between pulmonary gas exchange and airflow limitation in patients with COPD across the severity spectrum. Ventilation-perfusion (V̇A/Q̇) mismatch was measured using the multiple inert gas elimination technique in 150 patients from previous studies. The distribution of patients according to the GOLD stage of COPD was: 15 with stage 1; 40 with stage 2; 32 with stage 3; and 63 with stage 4. In GOLD stage 1, AaPo2 and V̇A/Q̇ mismatch were clearly abnormal; thereafter, hypoxemia, AaPo2, and V̇A/Q̇ imbalance increased, but the changes from GOLD stages 1–4 were modest. Postbronchodilator FEV1 was related to PaO2 ( r = 0.62) and PaCO2 ( r = −0.59) and to overall V̇A/Q̇ heterogeneity ( r = −0.48) ( P < 0.001 each). Pulmonary gas exchange abnormalities in COPD are related to FEV1 across the spectrum of severity. V̇A/Q̇ imbalance, predominantly perfusion heterogeneity, is disproportionately greater than airflow limitation in GOLD stage 1, suggesting that COPD initially involves the smallest airways, parenchyma, and pulmonary vessels with minimal spirometric disturbances. That progression of V̇A/Q̇ inequality with spirometric severity is modest may reflect pathogenic processes that reduce both local ventilation and blood flow in the same regions through airway and alveolar disease and capillary involvement.


Author(s):  
Amrit Sharma

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined as persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases. It has been suggested that emotional disturbances such as depression and anxiety are common among patients with COPD. This review aims to highlight the presence of depression and associated risk factors among patients suffering from COPD in Asia. Fifty-eight observational studies were retrieved through data sources like PubMed, Medical subject heading (MeSH) search and Google scholar. After thorough screening total thirteen studies were identified and included in this review. Based on the results of these studies, the south and west Asian countries had higher proportion of depression. However, risk factor results were mixed which includes severity of obstruction/global initiative for obstructive lung disease (GOLD) criteria, Stage 2 COPD, teetotallers, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea, and exercise (BODE) index, urban residence, female gender, education level, dyspnoea, low income, poor Quality of life (QOL) scores, age, poor self-reported health, basic activity of daily living (BADL) disability. Further superior research studies with larger sample size are required on Asian population. All in all, it is recommended that early diagnosis and treatment of depression should be included as a part of management in COPD as it can help to minimize the risk of morbidity and mortality in the patients.


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