COPD: promote early detection in general medicine and occupational medicine

It appears essential to promote early detection in general medicine and occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggested Professor Thomas Similowski (Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris), at a press conference in part of National No Smoking Day.

A matter of awareness

"By 2020, COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide. Yet the fight against this scourge is closely linked to the fight against smoking, but public awareness, especially among smokers vulnerability of respiratory function is also key. Measuring breath now possible in general medicine and occupational medicine, meets the dual concern of awareness and early detection of this disease, "informs the pulmonologist.

Cough and sputum in a smoker are reversible upon cessation of tobacco intoxication symptoms. They reflect a failure of the ciliary cells of the bronchial system, directly attributable to cigarette smoke. However, in terms of lung function, which is always lost forever.

"Stopping smoking will certainly not restore lost lung function, but the decline will slow down and be closer to that of the normal person," said Dr. Thomas Similowski.

According to him, there is definitely a lack of information and training vis-à-vis COPD, a disease that, until now, few people interested, because it was commonly believed that we could not do much to combat it, "what is wrong, the first decision is to fight against smoking and promote smoking cessation."

"In terms of screening, he says, GPs and work have so far lacked simple devices to detect airflow obstruction as simply and with as much reliability as a sphygmomanometer to detect hypertension ". However, such devices ensuring measurement breath general practice or work, now exist, such as "Piko 6". This examination is used to calculate the VEMS/VEM6 report, that is to say, almost the equivalent ratio FEV (FEV / CV, ie forced expiratory volume in one second vital capacity).

Thus, the probability of detecting COPD with obstructive lesions is especially important in a smoker of 40 years or more, already has a long history of smoking behind him (15 packs / year at least).

A book, piko 6

To educate general practitioners to screening and training in the proper use of the spirometer miniaturized Piko 6, a laboratory set up in early 2005, a large share of information and training, "a book, Piko 6".

This action is based on locally organized meetings, facilitated by some 200 pulmonologists and comprising on average from 12 to 15 GPs. A teaching aid as a slideshow and video helps to educate the medical community about the importance of measuring the breath in his daily medical practice and train the proper use of the spirometer.

Nearly 300 meetings have already taken place. Following these meetings, each general benefits of delivering a Piko 6 and a book "Breath and tobacco" (available in bookstores) can be given to a patient.