Abstract
The early diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is prioritary. Respiratory Health Screening Questionnaire (RHSQ), validated for COPD screening, seems a simple tool in general practice.
An awareness campaign on World COPD Day invited those over 40 years old, with no known respiratory diseases, to answer a questionnaire and perform a spirometry.
We aimed to determine the prevalence of COPD risk factors, respiratory symptoms, comorbidities and COPD; to investigate the RHSQ validity to screen COPD.
The sample included 193 participants (53% women, mean age 60+-11 years, mean BMI 27+-4kg/m2), 19% smokers and 24% former smokers (mean pack-year 20+-18). COPD risk factors and comorbidities are shown in [table 1] . Dyspnea was present in half of the subjects. Respiratory symptoms are shown in [table 2] .
A positive RHSQ for possible COPD (>16 points) was obtained in 50%. COPD was diagnosed in 19 (10%) patients, mainly group A (n=11) and group B (n=6). COPD prevalence was 20% in smokers. Among COPD subjects, 16 (87%) had a positive RHSQ.
The sensitivity and specificity of the RHSQ for COPD diagnosis were 90% and 45%, respectively, with a negative predictive value of 95%.
Underdiagnosis of COPD is a well-known problem. The RHSQ had a high negative predictive value and may constitute a simple and cost-effective screening tool for the early diagnosis of COPD.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015