Asthma diagnosis warning for GPs
Wednesday, 19 Nov 2008 04:01
Asthma sufferers may have been misdiagnosed
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Fears that many people who believe they have asthma may have been misdiagnosed have been raised today.
Asthma and the progressive illness Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have been confused among GPs and misdiagnosed according to the British Lung Foundation.
Eighty per cent of 776 UK GPs found distinguishing between asthma and COPD challenging according to a Doctors.net.uk survey.
"It can be difficult to differentiate between an asthma and COPD diagnosis but the long term aims of asthma and COPD treatment are different and it is vital that people with either disease have an accurate diagnosis," BLF spokesperson Keith Prowse said.
"Patients get understandably distressed and angry when they realise they have been misdiagnosed and not given the most appropriate treatment," Dame Helena Shovelton added.
The BLR is asking everyone over 35 with either respiratory disease to be retested.
There is a severe difference between the two diseases. COPD is a chronic lung disease and the fifth biggest killer in the UK.