Study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in El Marg Chest Hospital

Abstract

Background: COPD is an ultimately underdiagnosed disorder, with the diagnosis typically missed or delayed until the condition is advanced. Spirometry is the most frequently used pulmonary function test, and enables health professionals to make an objective measurement of airflow obstruction and assess the degree of its reversibility (Soriano et al., 2009). COPD is one of the leading causes of death in developed nations and affects both men and women. Smoking is the main cause of COPD, and accounts for 80% to 90% of COPD-related deaths (Torpy et al., 2010). In Egypt, prevalence, morbidity and mortality are still lacking and have to be estimated; however, COPD is arising significant health problem in Egypt (Egyptian Society of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, 2003). Aim of the work: The aim of this work is to study COPD patients in El Marg Chest Hospital during period from February 2015 to July 2015 as regard demographic, clinical characteristic of the patients and available prescription pattern. Subjects and methods: This study included all COPD patients either referred to outpatient chest clinic or admitted to the hospital. Diagnosis of COPD was done according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guideline, 2015. All patients were subjected to: 1. Full medical history and examination. 2. Pre and post bronchodilator spirometric study according to(GOLD, 2015). In case of patients who can't perform spirometry they were included only if there were previous spirometric documents available. 3. Chest X-Ray: Chest X-Ray with PA view to exclude any other Chest diseases. 4. Questionnaire to detect epidemiology, demographic, clinical characteristic of the patients and available prescription pattern.