ATS/ERS Standards
In 2003, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine published the ATS/ERS: Standards for Diagnosis and Management of Individuals with Alpha-1. The Standards recommend testing for Alpha-1 in all of your adult patients suffering from COPD, emphysema, incompletely reversible asthma, unexplained liver disease, and siblings of an individual with Alpha-1.
In determining the propriety of any specific test, the physician should apply his or her own professional judgment to the specific clinical circumstances presented by the individual patient. It may be prudent, however, to document in the patient’s record the rationale for any significant deviation from this guideline.
