Detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometric screening.

This study was carried out in the Respiratory wing, department of Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University to evaluate the efficacy of spirometric screening for the detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Bangladeshi population. A total number of 400 participants were included in the study [60.50% male and 39.50% female, aged (M+/-SD) 48+/-7.54 years]. Free spirometry was offered to them. Among them 200 were smokers with a smoking duration of 17.07+/-7.50 pack-years and 200 non-smokers. Spirometric screening yielded diagnosis of COPD in 12.50% (50/400); of them 2.75% (11/400) was non-smoker compared to 9.75% (39/400) smoker (x2=17.92, p=<0.001) as diagnosed by spirometry following Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung diseases (GOLD) criteria. Using operational severity criteria adopted from GOLD, mild obstruction was found in 36% (18/50), moderate obstruction in 50% (25/50) and severe obstruction was found in 14% (7/50) of all subjects. The hall mark symptom of COPD, exertional dyspnoea was seen in only 4.3% (17/400) of subjects, nonspecific symptoms like cough and sputum were found in 10% (40/400) and 9.3% (37/400) respectively. Physical signs like abnormal breath sound and rhonchi were found in 3.3% (13/400) and 2.3% (9/400) respectively. Our study observed that spirometry was an effective and easy method for detection of COPD in risk group population like smokers and thus promotes smoking cessation efforts to reduce the burden of COPD in the community.