Abstract
Aim: Nowadays, there are still some difficulty to distinguish smoker asthmatic patients and COPD. Differentiation of these disorders is very important as their treatment choices are different. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of auscultation together with pulmonary function test (PFT) findings and the power of these findings in distinguishing asthma and COPD patients. Methods: 585 patients diagnosed of asthma and COPD according to international guidelines in our out-patient clinic were reviewed and their semptoms, risk factors, physical exam findings and PFTs were evaluated. Results: The study consisted of 294 women and 291 men. The mean age of patients was 41.2±14.5 years. 433 patients were asthmatic and 152 had COPD. While there was a significantly concordance between auscultation and PFTs in non-smoker patients with asthma (p=0.00), we didn’t find any accordance in smoker patients with asthma and COPD (p>0.05), If auscultation was normal and only FEF25-75 parameter showing obstruction in PFT was lower this condition was found more specific for asthma (without cigarette influence) than COPD (p=0.000). Conclusion: Our data shows that abnormal findings of auscultation and PFTs were more concordance in non-smoker patients with asthma. This indicates that PFTs (decrease in FEF25-75) may be utilized noninvasively to distinguish asthma and COPD cases in outpatient clinics.
Highlights
Asthma and COPD are the most prevalent airway obstructive conditions and they are major health problems, but are still largely underdiagnosed and undertreated (1,2)
While there was a significantly concordance between auscultation and pulmonary function test (PFT) in non-smoker patients with asthma (p=0.00), we didn’t find any accordance in smoker patients with asthma and COPD (p>0.05), If auscultation was normal and only FEF25-75 parameter showing obstruction in PFT was lower this condition was found more specific for asthma than COPD (p=0.000)
This indicates that PFTs may be utilized noninvasively to distinguish asthma and COPD cases in outpatient clinics
Summary
Asthma and COPD are the most prevalent airway obstructive conditions and they are major health problems, but are still largely underdiagnosed and undertreated (1,2). Both are complex diseases in which inflammatory and remodeling processes have been depicted (3). COPD and asthma have similar symptoms, including cough and wheezing. A thorough history and physical examination is essential in identifying and distinguishing COPD from asthma. Several factors, such as a history of smoking, a family history of COPD, and unresponsiveness to appropiate asthma therapy, may be indicative of COPD.
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