Abstract

Introduction:Studies predict that by 2030 COPD will be the third leading cause of death.The prevalence of COPD increases in individuals over 40 years old and with a high smoking load.Early diagnosis of COPD is sometimes difficult, as the symptoms develop progressively and are often undervalued which leads the disease to progress to advanced stages.

Objective/Methods:To evaluate the effectiveness of a spirometry network in primary care in COPD screening.Retrospective study on COPD screening through a spirometry network implemented in 11 primary care centers between 2019 and 2020.Variables evaluated:gender, age, smoking status, ventilatory syndrome, diagnosis, and stage of COPD.

Results:Patients ?35 years old with ?1 criteria: smoker/ex-smoker and/or respiratory symptoms were selected.N=341 patients, 56% men.The mean age was 63.96, with 95.8% being over 40 years old.63.3% were smokers/ex-smokers and 36.7% had respiratory symptoms.Obstructive, restrictive, and mixed ventilatory syndrome were identified in 25.3%; 6.7% and 4.7% of patients, respectively.COPD was diagnosed in 19.9% of patients.COPD GOLD 1(64.7%) was the most prevalent, followed by COPD GOLD 2(25.0%) and COPD GOLD 3(10.3%).

Conclusion:Conducting spirometry directed at patients with risk factors for COPD emerges as an innovative strategy for screening and early diagnosis.However, access to spirometry is essentially done by referring patients to hospital care, which implies long waiting times and patient relocation.An alternative would be to perform spirometry in primary care centers, implementing a spirometry network that would allow articulation between a hospital pulmonology department and primary care centers within the hospital's area of influence.