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Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Prevalence
Clinical features
Differential Diagnosis
Investigations
Therapy
Prevention
Prognosis
Differential diagnosis

Think about other common causes of dyspnoea leading to hospital admission: b
  • asthma
  • heart failure
  • arrythmias
  • infection 

Why?

Asthma and heart failure are common causes of dyspnoea

hospital admissions b cause of dyspnoea
asthma 33%
heart failure 31%
COPD 9%
arrhythmia 7%
infection 5%
interstitial lung disease 4%
anaemia 2%
pulmonary embolism <2%

 

Expiry date: July 2003
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Author   CM   Ball
Reviewer   N R   Anthonisen
CAT Writers   B   Phillips , CJ   Wotton , CM   Ball