Medical history (history of illness) is an important component in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Family history
- What is the general health status of your family members?
- Are there any respiratory diseases in your family that are common?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Are you exposed to harmful working substances in your profession?
- Is there smoking in your environment, i.e. you are a passive smoker?
- Do you live in the city or in the countryside? (due toAir pollution)
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Do you have cough with or without sputum and/or shortness of breath? Are these symptoms getting worse?*
- Have you noticed increased mucus production?
- Have you noticed a whistling breathing sound?
- Do you have clustered respiratory infections?
- Have you noticed a change in skin color, especially on the lips and fingers?
- Have you noticed water retention, especially on the ankles?
- Do you suffer from concentration problems?
- Do you often feel tired?
- Have you lost weight?
Vegetative history including nutritional history.
- Has your appetite changed?
- Have you lost body weight unintentionally?
- Do you suffer from sleep disorders?
- Do you smoke or have you ever smoked? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day? [Indicate cigarette consumption in pack-years or smoker-years.]
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (allergies; collagenoses; underlying cardiac diseases).
- Surgeries
- Allergies
- Environmental history (air pollutants: fine dust, ozone, sulfur dioxide; quartz-containing dusts, cotton dusts, grain dusts, welding fumes, mineral fibers, irritant gases such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide or chlorine gas).
- Medication history
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Information without guarantee)
COPD Assessment Test (CAT) The questionnaire helps you and your doctor determine the impact of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) on your well-being and daily life.
