Question

Your COPD patient has an FEV1 of 80%. What is the classification of airflow limitation severity? A) Gold 1: Mild B) Gold 2: Moderate C) Gold 3: Severe D) Gold 4: Very Severe

Answer 1

An FEV1 of 80% in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is classified as Gold 1: Mild based on the classification system by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). This system uses the patient's Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) to grade severity of COPD.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of your COPD patient, an FEV1 of 80% would classify the severity of the patient's airflow limitation as Gold 1: Mild. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades the severity of COPD based on a patient's post-bronchodilator FEV1. The grading works as follows:

• Gold 1 (Mild): FEV1 is ≥ 80% predicted.
• Gold 2 (Moderate): 50% ≤ FEV1 < 80% predicted.
• Gold 3 (Severe): 30% ≤ FEV1 < 50% predicted.
• Gold 4 (Very Severe): FEV1 is < 30% predicted.

The Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) is a crucial lung function measurement during spirometry and is used in diagnosing and grading severity of lung diseases such as COPD.

Learn more about FEV1 and COPD severity