[Patient's management in the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Care Pathway for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease that causes high morbidity and mortality. In the Lazio Region, the Clinical Pathway (PDTA) for COPD was codified in 2016. An analysis of the medical records of a retrospective open cohort of 77 patients followed at the Outpatient Clinic Torrenova (ASL Roma 2) from 2017 to 2021, for a total of 305 visits, was performed. The mean interval between visits per individual patient was 169±124 days, the overall length of follow-up 613±388 days. The mean age of patients enrolled in the PDTA was 67 years, 90% were smokers or former smokers, and 30% had major comorbidities. At the first visit, 13% of the patients had normal spirometry, 36% mild obstruction (GOLD 1), 13% GOLD 2, 15% GOLD 3 and none GOLD 4. Regarding ABCD classification, 29% of the patients were compatible with class A, 3% with class B, 29% class C and 10% class D. The analysis of the severity of the patients through a composite score showed a Gaussian distribution of patients at the first visits, a positive correlation with the number of follow-ups and a negative correlation with the interval of follow-up visits; the overall length of follow-up did not correlate with the severity of the disease. The active COPD PDTA in ASL Roma 2 seems to hit the target of taking care of the patient in the early stages of the disease. The effects of early intervention on disease outcomes should be highlighted by further studies.