Implementation of a screening and management pathway for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Rachel M J van der VeldenMaartje J M HereijgersNazia ArmanNaomi van MiddeldorpFrits M E FranssenMonika GawalkoDominique V M VerhaertZarina HabibiKevin VernooyLukasz KoltowskiJeroen M L HendriksHein HeidbuchelLien DestegheSami O SimonsDominik K LinzPublished in: Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology (2023)
A COPD care pathway can successfully be embedded in an existing AF outpatient clinic infrastructure, using (micro)spirometry and remote analysis of results. Although 1 out of 5 patients had results suggestive of an underlying chronic respiratory disease, only 62% of these patients opted for referral. Preselection of patients as well as patient education might increase the diagnostic yield and requires further research.