4.2.5 COPD screening at community level
Table 4.1 is a questionnaire to help you to assess whether a person you suspect may have COPD is at risk of developing the condition. You ask the questions and fill in whether the person gives a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer.
| Questions | Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Have you been coughing a lot and producing thick mucus (sputum) coughed up from your lungs? | □ | □ |
| 2 | Have you had shortness of breath? | □ | □ |
| 3 | Have you heard wheezing from your lungs when you breathe? | □ | □ |
| 4 | Do you smoke cigarettes, or did you smoke cigarettes in the past? If not, do you live with someone who smokes cigarettes? | □ | □ |
| 5 | Does anyone in your family have asthma and/or allergies? | □ | □ |
| 6 | In your work, have you been exposed to dust or chemicals that you often breathed in? | □ | □ |
| 7 | Have you often been exposed to smoke from cooking fires inside your house? | □ | □ |
Interpretation of the results of the COPD screening questionnaire is as follows:
- If the person answers ‘yes’ to at least two out of Questions 1, 2 and 3, refer him or her to the health centre for further evaluation. It is likely that they have COPD.
- If the person answers ‘yes’ to only one of Questions 1, 2 or 3, and also has one or more of the risk factors mentioned in Questions 4 to 7, then advise them about the need for regular screening for COPD and educate them on the prevention of COPD by reducing their exposure to the risk factors.
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4.2.4 Effects of COPD on the patient’s life