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Chapter One
Pathophysiology
SUNNY KAUL
King's College Hospital, London
COPD: DEFINITION
The definition of COPD that is recognised by both the American Thoracic
Society and the European Respiratory Society is that it is a preventable and
treatable disease characterised by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible
and does not change markedly over several months (American Thoracic
Society 1962; 2005). The airflow limitation is usually progressive and is associated
with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles
or gases, primarily caused by cigarette smoking.
COPD is an umbrella term that covers many well-known smoking-related
lung diseases. They include chronic bronchitis, emphysema and some cases of
chronic asthma. Chronic bronchitis is defined clinically as chronic productive
cough for three months in each of two successive years in a patient in whom
other causes of productive chronic cough have been excluded (American
Thoracic Society 1962). Emphysema is defined pathologically as the presence
of permanent enlargement of the airspaces ... read full excerpt from Managing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ebook
