INTRODUCTION
fits, COPD
COPD, COPD EXACERBATION, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.The leading risk factor for COPD is a history of smoking, either current or past.Most COPD is detected and treated in primary care, but diagnosis is frequently delayed and often only occurs after COPD exacerbation.Current guidelines recommend that COPD diagnosis should be considered in patients who have symptoms and/or are at risk of COPD;Symptoms and risk factors have been identified in the annual Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) reports as clinical indicators for considering a diagnosis of COPD.How this fits inIn France, most GPs working in the private sector do not perform spirometry. When COPD is suspected, patients are referred to specialists, mainly pulmonologists. The pulmonologist diagnoses and initiates treatment but, after diagnosis, it is most frequently GPs who manage patients who have COPD.There is a growing need to detect COPD early, when preventive and therapeutic interventions are expected to be most effective.