Can we still use FEV1/FVC ratio < 70% for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Jan Zieliński

ISSN: 1505-8409

Przewodnik Lekarza/Guide for GPs

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1/2010
vol. 13

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abstract:

Can we still use FEV1/FVC ratio < 70% for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Jan Zieliński

Przew Lek 2010; 1: 21-25

Online publish date: 2010/03/04

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The author reviews negative effects of introducing, in 2001, fixed FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.70 for active diagnosis of early stages of COPD.
Frequent over-diagnosis may result in emotional stress, unnecessary treatment and falsely high prevalence of the disease. Fixed ratio should be replaced by individual calculation of the lower limit of normal ratio (LLN) and/or standard residual value lower than –1.64.
Simple step-by-step approach to interpretation of spirometric test is presented.

keywords:

Can we still use FEV1/FVC ratio < 70% for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Jan Zieliński

COPD, FEV1/FVC < 070, lower limit of normal, standard residual