COPD: Prevention, screening and case finding.

The article discusses chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a largely preventable chronic lung disease characterised by airflow obstruction. Topics discussed include the risk factors for COPD with cigarette smoking as the most important, the need to encourage all smokers to stop smoking as smoking cessation is the most important intervention in COPD and the usefulness of a high-risk, 2 stage screening approach with a simple questionnaire during consultation.