Suspected or confirmed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Suspected or confirmed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — referral criteria for Respiratory services.

Eligibility

At least one must be met for the patient to be eligible for referral.

Clinically suspected or confirmed suspected or confirmed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) with initial primary-care work-up completed

Red flags

Indicate urgent (Category 1) referral or emergency assessment.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with:

significant, new or changed respiratory symptoms (for example unable to eat, sleep or walk)

breathlessness at rest and oxygen saturation less than 90 percent, or a reduction of 3 to 4 percent from usual baseline

sudden or severe worsening of symptoms (e.g. breathlessness, cough)

acute confusion or impaired consciousness

Routine referral criteria

Determine Category 2 or 3 urgency.

Assessment for difficult to control symptoms or unusual symptoms such as haemoptysis or dysfunctional breathing, where lung cancer or other critical respiratory illness has been excluded

Assessment for uncertain diagnosis — bullous lung disease

Assessment for uncertain diagnosis — COPD patient younger than 40 years

Assessment for uncertain diagnosis — onset of right-sided heart failure

Assessment for uncertain diagnosis — exclusion of asthma

Assessment for uncertain diagnosis — frequent chest infections

Advice on, or review of, the management of moderate or severe COPD or COPD with rapid decline in forced expiratory volume

Assessment for lung volume reduction surgery

Usually managed in primary care

Patients that are stable, or not for further active management.