The AIMAR recommendations for early diagnosis of chronic obstructive respiratory disease based on the WHO/GARD model*

Table 12 Recommendations for follow up of patients based on their clinical conditions

Activities	Follow up of chronic bronchitis (without obstruction) and of mild (obstruction + FEV₁ > 80%) asymptomatic COPD	Follow up of COPD with obstruction + FEV₁ > 80%, exercise dyspnea and comorbidities	Follow up of COPD with obstruction + FEV₁ < 60%, exercise dyspnea, frequent exacerbations and comorbidities	Follow up of COPD with obstruction + FEV₁ < 50%, respiratory failure and comorbidities
	Every two years	Once a year	Once a year	Once a year
Smoking cessation, if smoker	All and/or anti-smoking center	All and/or anti-smoking center	All and/or anti-smoking center	All and/or anti-smoking center
Clinical assessment (including dyspnea index, BMI, with eventual use of questionnaires) and of risk factors	GP, specialist	GP, specialist	GP, specialist	GP, specialist
Pulse oximetry	GP, specialist	GP, specialist	GP, specialist	GP, specialist
Simple spirometry	GP, specialist	GP, specialist	GP, specialist	GP, specialist
Pulmonologist consultation	Pulmonary specialist in the case of diagnostic doubt	Pulmonary specialist	Pulmonary specialist	Pulmonary specialist

ISSN: 2049-6958