Can a Single Spirometry Accurately Diagnose COPD?

A single spirometry test result for COPD is subject to diagnostic reversals over 4-5 years in 12-27% of subjects, a recent study says. Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) is diagnosed following an initial post bronchodilator spirometry test. However, after a patient is labeled as having COPD, this diagnosis often is not revisited. Recently, a research group evaluated spirometry test results in more than 7000 patients with mild-to-moderate COPD over 5 years to determine how often an individual’s COPD diagnosis is reversed to normal.

The revealed a surprising result that diagnostic reversals of COPD occurred in 12-27% of subjects. These results suggest there is considerable variability of spirometry results and that a single spirometric assessment may not be reliable to diagnose COPD in patients with mild to moderate airflow obstruction. Reference Aaron SD et al. Diagnostic…