Discordance between old and new criteria for stratifying patients with COPD

摘要

Medical decisions must be based on accurate patient evaluations and on robust scientific information. The objective of clinical guidelines is to produce useful recommendations by identifying the most relevant scientific information that should be adapted and applied (with caution) in individual patients. This is particularly true in COPD, a highly complex, heterogeneous disorder. The objective of this study was to evaluate how the questionnaires used in symptom evaluation and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) ABCD assessment tool can affect COPD classification.