[The profile of the patients referred by general practitioners to respiratory physicians for assessment of undiagnosed bronchial disease]

Introduction: In general practice, COPD is often under-diagnosed and inappropriate pharmacological treatment given.

Objectives: To determine the profile of patients over 40 years old, smokers or ex-smokers, referred by general practitioners to respiratory physicians for assessment of undiagnosed bronchial disease.

Methods: Observational study carried-out among 103 respiratory physicians in France in 2007.

Results: The diagnosis of COPD was confirmed by the respiratory physicians in 433/486 (89%) patients. COPD patients were aged 61 years on average, male (63%) and often current smokers (46%). Most of them had more than three respiratory symptoms. The diagnosis of COPD was made after a long history of symptoms. We found 148 (34.2%) COPD patients with a FEV(1)/FVC greater than 0.7 and were classified as mild (61 patients), moderate (77 patients) or severe (10 patients).

Conclusions: In patients at risk, smokers or ex-smokers with respiratory symptoms, COPD was the diagnosis most often confirmed by the respiratory physician. A significant proportion of respiratory physicians diagnosed and assessed the severity of COPD, not strictly on the basis of national recommendations, but rather on the association of risk factors, respiratory symptoms and even isolated changes in FEV(1).