Pulmonary function tests in a community hospital

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of obstructive lung disease in a surgical population. Screening spirometric pulmonary function tests were performed in 300 consecutive ambulatory patients in a community hospital. A high incidence of moderate to very severe chronic obstructive lung disease was found, 66% of smokers and 38% of nonsmokers. The incidence of chronic obstructive lung disease is underestimated. The costs of this disease are staggering in terms of money and manpower, and there is great need for screening pulmonary function testing to promote early diagnosis. The community hospital appears to be the ideal environment in which to make an early diagnosis and initiate measures to attempt to change the natural history of chronic obstructive lung disease.