Usefulness of spirometry in hospitalized patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbated

• Main Authors: Hernández-Ruiz, Alfredo, Ortega, Héctor José, Aguirre -Acevedo, Daniel Camilo
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad de Antioquia 2020-10-01
• Series: Iatreia
• Subjects: hospitalization; pulmonary disease chronic obstructive; recurrence; spirometry
• Online Access: https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/iatreia/article/view/339541/20803858

Spirometry is the standard test to confirm the diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In hospitalization services it is common to find patients admitted with suspicion of this condition during an exacerbation. Based on current guidelines, there is controversy about use or not spirometry in this setting. Objective: To review the diagnostic utility of spirome-try in hospitalized patients with suspected exacerba-ted COPD. Development: A non-systematic review was carried out until November 2019. The databases consulted were PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, LILACS, Google Scholar. Prospective studies were included, in patients over 18 years of age, in English and Spanish. Were found 573 articles and 20 relevant articles were selected for discussion. Conclusions: In hospitalized patients with suspected exacerbated COPD, spirometry is a useful tool to confirm the diagnosis. The time to perform it would be prior to discharge, once the patient is stable. Of note, FEV1 would not be useful for establishing severity.