| Abstract: | As public smoking and tobacco advertising are increasingly banned in North America and Europe, tobacco companies are likely to attempt to boost their sales in other parts of the world: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the former Communist states in Eastern Europe. The current epidemic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be transferred to these countries as well. COPD can be definitively diagnosed only by spirometry. The median survival time is 5-10 years. In the long run, the most effective treatment will be smoking cessation programs. Pharmaceutical interventions include bronchodilators and, for a minority of patients, inhaled steroids. Domiciliary oxygen should be provided only when there is demonstrable hypoxia. The British Thoracic Society guidelines on COPD are relevant to developing countries as well as the UK. |
