Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Report reveals City of Swan, Rockingham and Mandurah among hotspots

The City of Swan is among the country’s top hotspots for a deadly lung condition. That’s the findings of a new report — The Change that can’t wait: Reducing the human and economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Australia — which was unveiled at Federal Parliament on Thursday, revealing the City of Swan is home to 535 severe cases of the disease. COPD is a group of lung conditions that cause airflow obstruction and breathing difficulties, of which emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common forms. Those with severe COPD have persistent symptoms like constant shortness of breath, fatigue, and frequent coughing that produces a lot of mucus. Other local government areas in WA identified as national hotspots include Mandurah with 518 cases and Rockingham sitting on 505 residents with the severe form of the condition. More than five per cent of the population are living with the disease in Mandurah and Rockingham. The report also revealed more people die due to COPD than to prostate and breast cancer combined, claiming more than 7600 Australian lives each year. It is also the main cause of preventable hospital admissions in the country, responsible for 53,000 per year. The George Institute for Global Health program head Christine Jenkins warned this was due to more than 8-in-10 Australians with COPD not undergoing spirometry testing — measuring how much air they can breath in and out — in the 12 months before or following the start of their therapy. She said this was despite spirometry being the gold standard for assessing COPD severity. “Delayed diagnosis, inconsistencies in care, and limited access to effective treatments are driving many of these Australians into hospital time and time again, adding further strain to healthcare resources and budgets,” she said. “What’s worse, Australians are not living well and dying sooner than they should with this debilitating disease. As the condition progresses, the frequency and severity of COPD lung attacks increase. Each flare-up irreparably weakens the lungs.” The report made several recommendations to improve COPD management in Australia — chief among them was the boosting of spirometry testing in primary care to enable early and accurate diagnosis and assessment.