: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent but underdiagnosed disease, primarily due to the lack of access to forced spirometry (FS) in primary care. Portable, easy-to-use expiratory flow meters like Piko-6 and COPD-6 that measure FEV, FEV, and FEV/FEV ratio provide an alternative. Given that Piko-6 and COPD-6 devices measure FEV but not FVC, the aim of the study is to determine the optimal cutoff value for the FEV/FEV ratio of each device to avoid false negatives when these devices are used for COPD screening in primary care (PC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnxiety disorders, characterized by excessive fear and anxiety, are increasingly recognized as significant comorbidities in chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety in COPD patients referred from primary care centers to pulmonology services and to identify predictive factors for anxiety. This was a multicentric, observational, and prospective study in which 293 COPD patients were recruited, and they underwent comprehensive respiratory and smoking histories, spirometry, and anxiety assessments using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: COPD is a highly prevalent but underdiagnosed disease, due to the limited availability of forced spirometry (FS) in primary care (PC). Microspirometers are inexpensive, easy-to-use devices that can measure FEV and FEV/FEV, and may help reduce underdiagnosis. The aim of this study was to validate the Piko-6 COPD screening device by demonstrating a good correlation with standard FS.
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