[Treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 5 Latin American cities: the PLATINO study].

Objective: PLATINO project is a population-based study designed to determine the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in São Paulo, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; Montevideo, Uruguay; Santiago de Chile, Chile; and Caracas, Venezuela. The objective of this portion of PLATINO was to describe preventive and pharmacological treatment of COPD patients and factors associated with such treatment.

Patients And Methods: Eligible subjects completed a questionnaire and underwent postbronchodilator spirometry.

Diagnostic labeling of COPD in five Latin American cities.

Background: COPD is a major worldwide problem with a rising prevalence. Despite its importance, there is a lack of information regarding underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of COPD in different countries. As part of the Proyecto Latinoamericano de Investigación en Obstrucción Pulmonar study, we examined the relationship between prior diagnostic label and airway obstruction in the metropolitan areas of five Latin American cities (São Paulo, Santiago, Mexico City, Montevideo, and Caracas).

International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) Guidelines: diagnosis of respiratory diseases in primary care.

This Diagnosis paper constitutes the second of the IPCRG Guideline papers on the management of chronic respiratory diseases in primary care. Primary care health professionals are usually the first point of contact for patients who can present a wide range of initial symptoms which may or may not constitute their first presentation of a chronic disease such as asthma, COPD, or rhinitis. This paper is focussed upon the early identification and diagnosis of chronic respiratory diseases in primary care.

International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) Guidelines: integrating diagnostic guidelines for managing chronic respiratory diseases in primary care.

This is the first of the IPCRG Guideline papers. The IPCRG took on the task of producing an integrated guideline for the management of chronic respiratory diseases in primary care. This included some original work aimed at developing questionnaires suitable for improving the diagnosis and recognition of respiratory diseases in the primary care setting.