Adherence to Current COPD Guidelines in Turkey

ABSTRACTIntroduction-objective: Despite the availability of national and international guidelines, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) treatment is not always prescribed according to these recommendations. We aimed to see if COPD patients in Turkey have been treated appropriately according to COPD guidelines. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in six different chest diseases clinics. The COPD outpatients were categorized by spirometry classification (SC) and the combined classification (CC) of COPD. The treatment protocols were evaluated to check whether they were suitable for both classifications. Results: Overall, 307 patients were included in the study. Of the treatment protocols, 40.4% were suitable for both classifications: 30.9% for CC and 20.8% for SC. A total of 51.8% of the patients were reported to be using an unsuitable therapy for SC and 38.4% for CC. Ninety-eight per cent of the unsuitable treatment was overtreatment. Fifty-eight per cent of the patients were using...