Development of a simple binary response questionnaire to identify airflow obstruction in a smoking population in Argentina.

The CODE questionnaire (COPD detection questionnaire), a simple, binary response scale (yes/no), screening questionnaire, was developed for the identification of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We conducted a survey of 468 subjects with a smoking history in 10 public hospitals in Argentina. Patients with a previous diagnosis of COPD, asthma and other respiratory illness were excluded.

[Guidelines for COPD prevention, diagnosis and treatment in Argentina].

Since morbidity, mortality and socioeconomic costs from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are widely increasing, a group of respiratory medicine specialists was summoned by the AAMR to update basic knowledge on COPD and to issue recommendations for its prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The authors review the definition of COPD together with current knowledge on pathophysiology. Clinical presentation, functional evaluation and imaging are summarized.

[Argentine consensus of non-invasive ventilation].

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is nowadays increasingly used. The significant decrease in tracheal intubation related complications makes it particularly attractive in patients with moderately acute respiratory failure (ARF) who still have some degree of respiratory autonomy. It has also been used to support patients with chronic respiratory failure.

[Updated Argentine consensus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Due to the increase in morbidity and mortality from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a group of chest physicians updates the basic knowledge on COPD since the last Consensus in 1994 in order to prepare guidelines for its diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The authors review the definition of COPD together with the most recent information on its pathophysiology. The clinical presentation is summarized together with functional evaluation and imaging.

Assessment of bronchodilator response through changes in lung volumes in chronic airflow obstruction.

Although FEV1 improvement is routinely used to define bronchodilator (BD) response, it correlates poorly with clinical effects. Changes in lung volumes (LV) have shown better correlation with exercise tolerance and might be more sensitive to detect BD effects. We assessed the additional contribution of measuring LV before and after BD to detect acute improvement in lung function not demonstrated by FEV1, and the influence of the response criteria selected on this contribution.