Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clinical Presentation

  • Author: Zab Mosenifar, MD; Chief Editor: Zab Mosenifar, MD   more...
 
Updated: Oct 10, 2011
 

History

Most patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seek medical attention late in the course of their disease. Patients often ignore the symptoms because they start gradually and progress over the course of years. Patients often modify their lifestyle to minimize dyspnea and ignore cough and sputum production. With retroactive questioning, a multiyear history can be elicited.

Patients typically present with a combination of signs and symptoms of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and reactive airway disease. These include cough, worsening dyspnea, progressive exercise intolerance, sputum production, and alteration in mental status. Symptoms include the following:

  • Productive cough or acute chest illness
  • Breathlessness
  • Wheezing

Systemic manifestations (decreased fat-free mass, impaired systemic muscle function, osteoporosis, anemia, depression, pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, left-sided heart failure

A productive cough or an acute chest illness is common. The cough usually is worse in the mornings and produces a small amount of colorless sputum.

Breathlessness is the most significant symptom, but it usually does not occur until the sixth decade of life (although it may occur much earlier). By the time the FEV1 has fallen to 50% of predicted, the patient is usually breathless upon minimal exertion. In fact, the FEV1 is the most common variable used to grade the severity of COPD, although it is not the best predictor of mortality.

Wheezing may occur in some patients, particularly during exertion and exacerbations.

The value of patient history and physical examination was addressed in the 2011 update to the American College of Physicians/American College of Chest Physicians/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ACP/ACCP/ATS/ERS) guideline for diagnosis and management of stable COPD. According to the 2011 guideline, a history of more than 40 pack-years of smoking was the best single predictor of airflow obstruction; however, the most helpful information was provided by a combination of the following 3 signs:[31]

  • Self-reported smoking history of more than 55 pack-years
  • Wheezing on auscultation
  • Self-reported wheezing

If all 3 signs are absent, airflow obstruction can be nearly ruled out.[31]

With disease progression, intervals between acute exacerbations become shorter, and each exacerbation may be more severe. The rate of COPD exacerbations appears to reflect an independent susceptibility phenotype.[32]

COPD is now known to be a disease with systemic manifestations, and the quantification of these manifestations has proved to be a better predictor of mortality than lung function alone. Many patients with COPD may have decreased fat-free mass, impaired systemic muscle function, osteoporosis, anemia, depression, pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale, and even left-sided heart failure. Depression is not uncommon in subjects with COPD.[33]

Some important clinical and historical differences may help distinguish between the types of COPD. Classic findings for patients with chronic bronchitis include productive cough with gradual progression to intermittent dyspnea; frequent and recurrent pulmonary infections; and progressive cardiac/respiratory failure with edema and weight gain. Classic findings for patients with emphysema include a long history of progressive dyspnea with late onset of nonproductive cough; occasional mucopurulent relapses; and eventual cachexia and respiratory failure.

Next

Physical Examination

The sensitivity of a physical examination in detecting mild to moderate COPD is relatively poor; however, physical signs are quite specific and sensitive for severe disease. Patients with severe disease experience tachypnea and respiratory distress with simple activities.

The respiratory rate increases in proportion to disease severity. Use of accessory respiratory muscles and paradoxical indrawing of lower intercostal spaces is evident (known as the Hoover sign). In advanced disease, cyanosis, elevated jugular venous pulse (JVP), and peripheral edema can be observed.

Thoracic examination reveals the following:

  • Hyperinflation (barrel chest)
  • Wheezing – Frequently heard on forced and unforced expiration
  • Diffusely decreased breath sounds
  • Hyperresonance on percussion
  • Prolonged expiration

In addition, coarse crackles beginning with inspiration may be heard.

Certain characteristics allow differentiation between disease that is predominantly chronic bronchitis and that which is predominantly emphysema.

Chronic bronchitis characteristics include the following:

  • Patients may be obese
  • Frequent cough and expectoration are typical
  • Use of accessory muscles of respiration is common
  • Coarse rhonchi and wheezing may be heard on auscultation
  • Patients may have signs of right heart failure (ie, cor pulmonale), such as edema and cyanosis

Emphysema characteristics include the following:

  • Patients may be very thin with a barrel chest
  • Patients typically have little or no cough or expectoration
  • Breathing may be assisted by pursed lips and use of accessory respiratory muscles; patients may adopt the tripod sitting position
  • The chest may be hyperresonant, and wheezing may be heard
  • Heart sounds are very distant
  • Overall appearance is more like classic COPD exacerbation
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Zab Mosenifar, MD  Director, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Director, Women's Guild Pulmonary Disease Institute, Professor and Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

Zab Mosenifar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Annie Harrington, MD  Fellow in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Annie Harrington, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American College of Chest Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Nader Kamangar, MD, FACP, FCCP, FCCM  Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center; Associate Program Director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Multi-Campus Fellowship Program, Cedars-Sinai/West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs/Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente/Olive View-UCLA Medical Center; Site Director, Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship Program, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

Nader Kamangar, MD, FACP, FCCP, FCCM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Association of Bronchology, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, American Thoracic Society, California Thoracic Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Nidhi S Nikhanj, MD  Fellow, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles

Nidhi S Nikhanj, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Ryland P Byrd Jr, MD  Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, Program Director of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, East Tennessee State University, James H Quillen College of Medicine; Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy, James H Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Ryland P Byrd Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Chief Editor

Zab Mosenifar, MD  Director, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Director, Women's Guild Pulmonary Disease Institute, Professor and Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

Zab Mosenifar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Sat Sharma, MD, FRCPC, to the development and writing of a source article.

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Venn diagram of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chronic obstructive lung disease is a disorder in which subsets of patients may have dominant features of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. The result is airflow obstruction that is not fully reversible.
Histopathology of chronic bronchitis showing hyperplasia of mucous glands and infiltration of the airway wall with inflammatory cells.
Histopathology of chronic bronchitis showing hyperplasia of mucous glands and infiltration of the airway wall with inflammatory cells (high-powered view).
Gross pathology of advanced emphysema. Large bullae are present on the surface of the lung.
Gross pathology of a patient with emphysema showing bullae on the surface.
At high magnification, loss of alveolar walls and dilatation of airspaces in emphysema can be seen.
Posteroanterior (PA) and lateral chest radiograph in a patient with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hyperinflation, depressed diaphragm, increased retrosternal space, and hypovascularity of lung parenchyma are demonstrated.
A lung with emphysema shows increased anteroposterior (AP) diameter, increased retrosternal airspace, and flattened diaphragm on lateral chest radiograph.
A lung with emphysema shows increased anteroposterior (AP) diameter, increased retrosternal airspace, and flattened diaphragm on posteroanterior chest radiograph.
A computed tomography (CT) scan shows hyperlucency due to diffuse hypovascularity and bullae formation, predominantly in the upper lobes.
Severe bullous disease as seen on a computed tomography (CT) scan in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Pressure volume curve comparing lungs with emphysema, lungs with restrictive disease, and normal lungs.
Flow volume curve of a patient with emphysema shows marked decrease in expiratory flow, hyperinflation, and air trapping (patient B) compared with a patient with restrictive lung disease, who has reduced lung volumes and preserved flow (patient A).
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) can be used to evaluate the prognosis in patients with emphysema. The benefit of smoking cessation is shown here because the deterioration in lung function parallels that of a nonsmoker, even in late stages of the disease. Redrawn from Fletcher C, Peato R. The natural history of chronic airflow obstruction. Br Med J 1977; 1: 1645-1648.
Oxygen therapy via nasal cannula.
Home supplemental oxygen.
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP).
Pulmonary rehabilitation.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation.
 
 
 
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