Friday, 19 February 2021, 9:10 am
The first-ever New Zealand COPD (Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease) Guidelines have been published in the New
Zealand Medical Journal today, providing a national
framework for diagnosis and management of COPD in a New
Zealand context.
Affecting more than 15% of New
Zealand adults over the age of 45, and encompassing
emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic airflow
obstruction, COPD is irreversible and usually progressive.
People with COPD are more at risk to severe illness from
contracting COVID-19, as listed on the Ministry of Health's
website of severe underlying medical conditions.
The
guidelines have been developed by the Asthma and Respiratory