What is the significance of assessing a bronchodilator response?

• When there is a significant bronchodilator response we can ssume patient has reactive airway disease namely Asthma.
• Borderline response is seen in patients with COPD.

Lack of response does not rule out Asthma. Patient could have been already on maximal bronchodilator therapy or may be refractory at the time of bronchodilator administration.

At present paying too much attenstion to a bronchdilator response is not a meanigful exercise for management of patients. We give bronchodilators to all patients who are obstructed irrespective of the results from PFT study.