SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH WORSENING CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a common disease worldwide, refers to two frequently coexisting lung diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Physiologically, COPD represents a disruption in ventilation and in the exchange of gases in the lungs. A sharp worsening obstructive pulmonary disease with respiratory acidosis leads to repeated hospitalizations and high mortality rates.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined patients with COPD during hospitalization. Parameters included: the number of patients admitted for a defined period of time, the time of ventilation, the average length of hospitalization, the treatment modality, the mortality rate and the percentage of returning patients.

METHODS: We chose 260 admissions with worsening chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during a six month period in internal medicine departments and the intensive care unit. We selected patients who met the criteria and collected demographic data, complete blood tests including blood gases and checking the ventilator during hospitalization. We checked the relationship between the indices for hospitalization, and the mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS: A total of 255 admissions were enrolled in the study; 13 patients were excluded. Data was collected from 242 hospitalizations; 242 admissions included 71 patients hospitalized more than once. Patients' age ranged from 34 to 97 years with a median age of 66.6 years. During hospitalization, 194 patients (80%) were admitted to the internal medicine departments and 48 patients (19.8%) needed mechanical ventilation in intensive care. Most patients (60.7%) were hospitalized for 2 to 4 days, but 50% of the group of patients were hospitalized for almost one week.

CONCLUSION: Although the results were almost identical to those found in the literature we found other factors related to the aggravation of the disease e.g. smoking, ischemic heart disease and malignancy, which are more common in this group of diseases.