is an acronym that stands for the Global
Initiative on Obstructive Lung Disease.
Their emphysema staging is a good standard for determining
where you are on the timeline as it provides quantifiable
benchmarks. GOLD is the most common staging system
used however, the BODE system is more accurate.
Staging According to GOLD
GOLD divides emphysema into four stages which are
determined by symptoms and PFTs or Pulmonary Function
Tests, the most common being the Spirometry Test.
major factor in the GOLD emphysema staging is FEV1
or the Forced Expiratory Volume which is
the amount of air an emphysema patient can forcefully
exhale in one second.
1 Emphysema: Mild Emphysema
Patients with an FEV1 greater than or equal to 80%
2 Emphysema: Moderate Emphysema
Patients with an FEV1 greater than or equal to 50%
of normal but less than 80% of normal.
3 Emphysema: Severe Emphysema
Patients with an FEV1 greater than or equal to 30%
of normal but less than 50% of normal.
4 Emphysema: Very Severe Emphysema
Patients with an FEV1 less than 30% of normal or a
patient with "low blood oxygen levels"
that is less than 50% of normal.
emphysema staging protocols group Stage 3 and 4 together
as stage 4 and list "At Risk" as
the first stage. At risk are those patients that have
a normal spirometry reading however, they have a chronic
cough and above normal sputum production.
the GOLD standard for emphysema staging is widely
used and relatively accurate in determining which
emphysema stage the patient is in, additional factors
may need inclusion for increased accuracy when determining
a patient's actual prognosis.