The aim of this study was to analyze patterns and identify determinants of healthcare use in COPD patients according to the severity of airflow obstruction.
The Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD describes the management of patients with COPD according to the severity of airflow limitation [ 1].
We investigated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to analyze patterns and identify determinants of healthcare use, according to the severity of airflow obstruction.
The percentage of patients undergoing spirometry increased according to the severity of the airflow obstruction (p = 0.03).
According to the functional matrix theory, nasal airflow is a continuous stimulus for lowering of the palate and for lateral maxillary growth, indicating a close relationship between nasal breathing and dentofacial morphology.
The respiratory system impedance (Zrs), ratio of the mouth pressure to airflow according to the impulses, the Rrs, its real component, and the Xrs, its imaginary component, were automatically calculated using the attached software including fast Fourier transform analysis (LAB manager, CareFusion; version 4.65).
According to the latest studies: "a rise in the airflow rate increased the recovery at a given particle size" (Soni 2013).
The velocity of the exhaled airflow was set according to the experimental results to approximately simulate a cough [ 19].> In this airplane section, the airflow pattern in the steady-state was simulated and used as the initial condition.
FEV1≥ 50% of predicted value; i.e. mild (GOLD 1) or moderate (GOLD 2) airflow limitation, according to the international GOLD guideline [ 1].
The mean FEV1% of predicted was 47 ±10) in the intervention group and 50(±7) in the control group, which indicates mild to moderate airflow obstruction according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines [ 35].
