[GOLD 2011 - COPD from a new perspective].

UNLABELLED

The GOLD 2011 recommendations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) introduce a new classification system to optimize treatment in individual patients. Except for FEV,, this classification incorporates breathlessness measurement using modified medical research council questionnaire (mMRC) or the COPD assessment Test (CAT) and the number of exacerbations. The aim of our study was to compare the GOLD 2010 and GOLD 2011 COPD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study group consisted of 143 patients. Based on the post-bronchodilator FEV, only, as recommended in the GOLD 2010 report, there were 24 patients in stage I, 57patients in II, 43 in Ill and 19 in IV, respectively. In all patients, the number of exacerbations per year was noted and dyspnea was assessed with the modified MRC scale. The patients were subsequently graded to group A,B,C,D as proposed in the combined COPD assessment in GOLD 2011.

RESULTS

Grading of 51 (35,7%) patients according to the GOLD 2011 criteria was difficult; there were 22 patients in GOLD stage I/II with > or =2 exacerbations per year and 29 patients in GOLD stage Ill/IV with < 2 exacerbations per year. They were grading to more risk group.

CONCLUSION

The new classification according to GOLD 2011 lets on optimizations of the treatment, in most cases of COPD patients but in clinical practice, there may be problems with the classification of the patients with severe airway obstruction without frequent exacerbations and especially those with mild/moderate airflow limitation and frequent exacerbations.