Impact of radiologically stratified exacerbations: insights into pneumonia aetiology in COPD.

ABSTRACT:

Background

COPD patients have increased risk of developing pneumonia, which is associated with poor outcomes. It can be symptomatically indistinguishable from exacerbations, making diagnosis challenging. Studies of pneumonia in COPD have focused on hospitalised patients and are not representative of the ambulant COPD population. Therefore, we sought to determine the incidence and aetiology of acute exacerbation events with evidence of pneumonic radiographic infiltrates in an outpatient COPD cohort.

Methods

One hundred twenty-seven patients with moderate to very severe COPD aged 42-85 years underwent blood and sputum sampling over one year, at monthly stable visits and within 72 h of exacerbation symptom onset. 343 exacerbations with chest radiographs were included.

Result

SUBMITTER: Williams NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6064093 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature