• Filip Mejza, Ewa Nizankowska-Mogilnicka, Ryszard Kurzawa, Paweł Górski, Bernard Wirkijowski, and Roman Jaeschke.
• Pneumonol Alergol Pol. 2009 Jan 1; 77 (6): 507-16.

IntroductionCOPD is one of the most important lung diseases. It is responsible for significant proportion of outpatients pulmonary clinics visits. Data on outpatients care of COPD patients in Poland are limited. This article presents design of the KOMPAS study and basic results relating to COPD patients.Material And MethodsThe aim of this prospective study was to describe population of patients with COPD treated by specialists, and to characterize methods of care used in various COPD stages. Participating physicians used pocket PCs equipped with specially developed software to collect COPD patients' data.ResultsData on 2958 COPD patients were analyzed. 2/3 of patients were males. Mean patients age was 63 years and mean FEV(1) - 57% of predicted value. 86% of all subjects underwent spirometry during the first visit or the previous 6 months. Cough and exertional dyspnoea were the most frequently reported COPD symptoms (about 80% of patients). At the first visit 32% of subjects were current smokers and 51% were ex-smokers. 17% of all study patients have never smoked. Before inclusion 2/3 of patients were treated with bronchodilatator, and about 1/3 with inhaled steroid. After entering the study, over 90% received bronchodilatator and more than 2/3 received inhaled steroid. Differences in treatment between stages of COPD based on its severity were relatively small.ConclusionsResults of the KOMPAS study provide basic information about COPD outpatients care in Poland. These data, especially concerning physicians' compliance with current COPD guidelines, may be useful in planning undergraduate/postgraduate training for physicians and for those who are responsible for health resource allocation.

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