COPD – Meeting the diagnostic challenge

COPD has a number of diagnostic challenges. Here, the authors consider the process and look at the issues GPs might face. William McNulty BMBS, Katrina Curtis MBBChir, Gulam Haji MBBS, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London & Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK and worldwide. It is one of the commonest respiratory conditions seen in primary care and is the second commonest cause of emergency hospital admissions in the UK.1 It is estimated that 4.7% of patients in a general practice will have