Prevalence of COPD in 6 Urban Clusters in Argentina: The EPOC.AR Study.

Introduction: The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not been studied in Argentina.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and relevant clinical characteristics of COPD in a representative sample.

Material And Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in a population of adults aged ≥ 40 years randomly selected by cluster sampling in 6 urban locations.

Primary care physician perceptions on the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in diverse regions of the world.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multicomponent disorder that leads to substantial disability, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality. Although the majority of COPD patients are first diagnosed and treated in primary care practices, there is comparatively little information on the management of COPD patients in primary care. A web-based pilot survey was conducted to evaluate the primary care physician's, or general practitioner's (GP's), knowledge, understanding, and management of COPD in twelve territories across the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, eastern Europe, and Latin America, using a 10-minute questionnaire comprising 20 questions and translated into the native language of each participating territory.

Formoterol for acute asthma in the emergency department: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: Although several published studies have suggested that formoterol fumarate could be equivalent to short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs) for the treatment of asthma exacerbations, its role in acute asthma treatment remains undefined.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled formoterol (compared with SABAs) for the emergency department treatment of patients with acute asthma.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and manufactures' trial registers, without language restriction.