Bmc Med Res Methodol
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Bmc Med Res Methodol · Jun 2004
The Platino project: methodology of a multicenter prevalence survey of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in major Latin American cities.
The prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in many developed countries appears to be increasing. There is some evidence from Latin America that COPD is a growing cause of death, but information on prevalence is scant. It is possible that, due to the high frequency of smoking in these countries, this disease may represent a major public health problem that has not yet been recognized as such. The PLATINO study is aimed at measuring COPD prevalence in major cities in Latin America. ⋯ The PLATINO project will provide a detailed picture of the global distribution of COPD in Latin America. This project shows that studies from Latin America can be carried out with adequate quality and be of scientific value.