Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most prevalent respiratory problem in the world. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have a higher prevalence of smoking and recurrent lung infections and are at higher risk of COPD. Objective: To determine the prevalence of COPD in HIV-diagnosed patients referred to an infectious diseases hospital. Method: Individuals with HIV infection without previous or ongoing antiretroviral treatment, with chronic respiratory symptoms, with or without a history of exposure for the development of COPD were included. Pre-and post-bronchodilation spirometry, high-resolution computed tomography, viral load determination and CD4 count were carried out. Spirometry measurements were compared with Wilcoxon's test. Results: Sixty-six HIV-diagnosed patients, with a mean age of 31.5 years were included; 64 were males and two females. The prevalence of COPD was 7.6 %. The group with obstruction had a lower CD4 count (27.3 versus 225.9) and higher viral load (165,000 versus 57,722), in comparison with the group without obstruction. A positive correlation was observed between lower viral load and higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second/ forced vital capacity ratio. Conclusion: HIV-positive patients with a lower CD4 count and a higher viral load show a decrease in spirometry values.

No abstract

The screening tool proposed in this study has the advantages of being quick, inexpensive, easy to apply and reproducible, and the result has reliability with acceptable sensitivity; this is a symptom-based questionnaire with good predictive ability and it will avoid unnecessary sleep studies in the subjects who are not at high risk for having OSA.

No abstract

There are complex and diverse methodological problems involved in the clinical and epidemiological study of respiratory diseases and their etiological factors. The association of urban growth, industrialization and environmental deterioration with respiratory diseases makes it necessary to pay more attention to this research area with a multidisciplinary approach. Appropriate study designs and statistical techniques to analyze and improve our understanding of the pathological events and their causes must be implemented to reduce the growing morbidity and mortality through better preventive actions and health programs. The objective of the article is to review the most common methodological problems in this research area and to present the most available statistical tools used. Resumo Existem problemas metodológicos diversos e complexos envolvidos no estudo clínico e epidemiológico de doenças respiratórias e seus fatores etiológicos. A associação do crescimento urbano, da industrialização e da deterioração ambiental com as doenças respiratórias torna necessário focalizar a atenção