Worldwide guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A comparison of diagnosis and treatment recommendations

There is variation and ambiguity within COPD CPG regarding specific recommendations that can be applied by clinicians at a patient-specific level. The variation in CPG for COPD may contribute to the underdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment of COPD. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) workshop report may help resolve some of the variation surrounding COPD diagnosis and treatment. However, local guideline implementation efforts must assist physicians in applying guideline recommendations to support patient-specific management.