COPD Home
Learn More About COPD
Breathe Better With COPD
Find COPD Events. Get Involved!
Breathe Better Network
Country Conquers COPD™
Resources for Health Care Professionals
- Testing and Diagnosis
- Events for Health Care Professionals
About The Campaign

Receive quarterly e-newsletters about the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign and lung research.

Testing and Diagnosis

Diagnosis: Pulmonary Function Testing

Perform or refer for a lung function test-spirometry-to determine the severity. Spirometry with bronchodilator testing may distinguish COPD from asthma.
A criterion for diagnosis of COPD is a postbronchodilator FEV₁/FVC < 0.7. These patients should receive professional assistance for smoking cessation.

Graphic indicating the progression of severity for treating COPD (least severe to most severe): Self-Management Education and Smoking Cessation; Bronchodilators; Inhaled Corticosteroids; Pulmonary Rehabilitation; Oxygen; Surgery.

Treatment

Aggressive management of COPD can make a difference for the patient.
Advances in therapies have been shown to improve survival or quality of life for COPD patients.