Open Access<p>Diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Serbia: an expert group position statement</p>
Author(s) -
Marija Vukoja,
Ivan Kopitović,
Zorica Lazić,
Branislava Milenković,
Ivana Stanković,
Biljana Zvezdin,
Andjelija Ž. Ilić,
Ivan Čekerevac,
Miodrag Vukčević,
Vladimir Žugić,
Sanja Hromiš
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/international journal of copd
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1178-2005
pISSN - 1176-9106
DOI - 10.2147/copd.s214690
Subject(s) - medicine , copd , inhaler , pulmonary disease , clinical practice , intensive care medicine , population , expert opinion , obstructive lung disease , physical therapy , asthma , environmental health
In recent years, several national chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) guidelines have been issued. In Serbia, the burden of COPD is high and most of the patients are diagnosed at late stages. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy is poorly implemented in real-life practice, as many patients are still prescribed inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)-containing regimens and slow-release theophylline. In this document, we propose an algorithm for treating COPD patients in Serbia based on national experts' opinion, taking into account global recommendations and recent findings from clinical trials that are tailored according to local needs. We identified four major components of COPD treatment based on country specifics: active case finding and early diagnosis in high-risk population, therapeutic algorithm for initiation and escalation of therapy that is simple and easy to use in real-life practice, de-escalation of ICS in low-risk non-exacerbators, and individual choice of inhaler device based on patients' ability and preferences. With this approach we aim to facilitate implementation of the recommendation, initiate the treatment in early stages, improve cost-effectiveness, reduce possible side effects, and ensure efficient treatment.