GOLD 2011 Guidelines — New Assessment System to Guide Therapy of COPD Patients

This approach focuses on symptom control and risk for adverse events in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The second 5-year update of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) consensus report is available. Although not dramatically different from earlier versions, it includes a new assessment and grading system to guide treatment of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This approach deemphasizes using forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) alone to stage disease and focuses instead on both symptom control and risk for adverse events. The change is based on a growing body of literature which demonstrates that FEV₁ does not correlate well with individual patients' severity of dyspnea, exercise limitations, or health status.

The GOLD recommendations can be downloaded as a pocket guide. To …

Reviewing Author

Patricia Kritek, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsATS Scholar

Patricia Kritek, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsATS Scholar