Chronic obstruction coordination:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease that progresses for decades, but does not make patients interested enough to detect the disease.

In Vietnam, over 3 million people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and this number is increasing. While the World Health Organization (WHO) warns, COPD is now the fourth leading cause of death, on par with HIV / AIDS, only after cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer.

In Vietnam, the concept of " chronic obstructive pulmonary disease " has not been widely disseminated in the community. Most cases were discovered when it was late.

Not enough attention to detect disease

A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is being treated at Respiratory Department of Cho Ray Hospital.(Source: VNN)

In early October, the patient TTK, 53 years old, resided in Ho Chi Minh City, admitted to Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy in constant wheezing. The doctor diagnosed the patient with stage 4 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The patient coughed for 10 years, but still did not pay attention; Because it is said that sputum is a common symptom of smoking. In the past, smoking patients had been on for 20 years, one pack a day, and had only been removed for half a month.

Until now, severe respiratory disease has caused severe breathing difficulties. In one month, the patient had to enter an emergency twice. With history, clinical, radiological, respiratory signs with drug testing, doctors diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage 4

One emergency, the cost of antibiotics and infusions is about 1-1.5 million / day. Each hospital stay for K. patients lasting from 1 to several weeks is stressful for everyone in the family in terms of spirit, health and money.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary drugs are mostly used by patients, but emergency episodes still occur. After that, patient K. was treated according to the new regimen given by the World Health Organization (WHO) including patient education, medicine, physical therapy, immunization . Regimen This has helped patients somewhat avoid hospitalization due to acute dyspnea since treatment.

Another patient, TMA, 42, said he was forced to go to the hospital because the severe dyspnea could not work. He has been in and out of this Respiratory Care Center for the past 3 years.

In the past, when breathing, the patient had a tug on the hollow of the sternum, clavicle. The lungs are screeching on both sides.

As a respirator, the doctor found that the patient had a blockage of air flow, exhaled very badly, only 20% of normal people. Airflow from small airways is even 6%.

Mr. TMA did not smoke nor exposed to toxic dust, gas, or particles. But he had 40 years of asthma without proper treatment. Patients have been treated in many places mainly with oral corticosteroids.

In combination with medical history, clinical examination, pulmonary film capture, respiratory signature with drug testing, this patient was determined to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

After more than 3 years of active treatment, Mr. TMA has less difficulty in breathing, working, giving birth to one more child.

However, respiratory function cannot return to normal because asthma lasts too long, not being treated thoroughly has become chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lung damage cannot be reversed.

Too rough for the lungs!

80 - 90% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to smoking.(Photo: governing.typepad.com)

Most of the patients that the Center for Respiratory Care received at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy are all in working age.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease that usually begins at age 40, manifested by chronic dyspnea symptoms .

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive respiratory disease that develops for decades, but does not make the patient concerned enough to detect the disease. It damages lung function. 80 - 90% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are caused by smoking.

Therefore, quitting smoking is one of the priority measures to reduce the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, people often exposed to toxic environments should reduce exposure to smoke, particles, toxic gases by good ventilation, wearing masks with activated carbon.

In addition, statistics show that, about 15%, asthma patients will switch to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But a recent work by MSc Cao Thi My Thuy was conducted at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, showing that up to 50% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease because asthma is not treated properly.

According to the latest literature, patients with asthma are 12 times more likely to develop chronic obstructive lung disease than normal people.

It is worrisome that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is often not diagnosed early, at times where lung damage can be prevented. While at present, with diagnostic devices such as signed respiration, we can detect the disease dozens of years earlier before symptoms of dyspnea appear.

Therefore, a person who is coughing, spitting and having trouble breathing, is over 40 years old and has a cigarette smoke - or is exposed to smoke, dust, particles or poison gas - should at least once a year, go for a shot Lung shape and do respiratory signs for timely disease detection.

At the same time, asthma patients must be treated according to the regimen prescribed by specialists and must be monitored by respiratory signs at least once a year to promptly prevent the transition to obstructive pulmonary disease. chronic.

Assoc.TS.BS. Le Thi Tuyet Lan
(Head of Respiratory Care Center, BV. HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy)