Interní Med. 2012; 14(10): 350-356

Differential diagnosis and therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma

prof.MUDr.Vladimír Vondra, DrSc., MUDr.Iveta Vondrová

Plicní a alergologické oddělení Zdravotnického zařízení Praha 5

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma have several different but also similar characteristics in diagnosis and therapy.

There are different etiologic factors they play the main role (in COPD mostly inhaled harmful irritants, in asthma allergic triggers. The

most important parameter of differences between COPD and asthma are lung function results of bronchial obstruction and its reversibility.

Both diseases are generally under diagnosed and some mistakes are frequent. Correct diagnoses have important influence on

early and optimal therapy according the stage of COPD, and control and severity of asthma. Indacaterol (Onbrez Breezhaler) and roflumilast

(Daxas) were introduced in the year 2011 into the therapy of COPD in the Czech Republic. New modern effective and expensive

treatment of asthma with antibody against IgE (Omalizumab-Xolair) has special indication.

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, differential diagnosis, therapy

Published: November 1, 2012  Show citation