A comparison of five surveys that identify individuals at risk for airflow obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The predictive characteristics of different screening surveys for the recognition of individuals at risk for airflow obstruction (AFO) have not been evaluated simultaneously in the same population.

Purpose: To compare five AFO/COPD screening questionnaires.

Methods: 383 individuals completed the Veterans Airflow Obstruction Screening Questionnaire, Personal Level Screener for COPD (VAFOSQ), the 11-Q COPD Screening Questionnaire (11-Q), the COPD Population Screener (COPD-PS) and the Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ) and performed spirometry.

Defining Airflow Obstruction.

Airflow obstruction has been defined using spirometric test results when the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio is below a fixed cutoff (<70%) or lower limits of normal (LLN) from reference equations that are based on values from a normal population. However, similar to other positive or abnormal diagnostic test results that are used to identify the presence of disease, perhaps airflow obstruction should be defined based on the values of FEV1/FVC for a population of individuals with known disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Unfortunately, we do not know such a distribution of values of FEV1/FVC for patients with COPD since there is no gold standard for this syndrome or condition.

Official American Thoracic Society technical standards: spirometry in the occupational setting.

Purpose: This document addresses aspects of the performance and interpretation of spirometry that are particularly important in the workplace, where inhalation exposures can affect lung function and cause or exacerbate lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or fibrosis.

Methods: Issues that previous American Thoracic Society spirometry statements did not adequately address with respect to the workplace were identified for systematic review. Medline 1950-2012 and Embase 1980-2012 were searched for evidence related to the following: training for spirometry technicians; testing posture; appropriate reference values to use for Asians in North America; and interpretative strategies for analyzing longitudinal change in lung function.