Eosinophilia in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A cross sectional study from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease and is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases. To confirm the diagnosis of COPD a simple test, Spirometry is performed. Apart from helping in diagnosis spirometry can also tell us about the stage of COPD. Objective of the present study was to determine the frequency of eosinophilia in chronic obstructivepulmonarydiseasepatients. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at Pulmonology Department, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad Pakistan on 118 patients. Study duration was six months, from March 26, 2019 to September 25, 2019. Patients with 35-80 years of age and of both gender with diagnosis of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were included. Patients of Asthma, Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), Churg Strauss syndrome, eosinophilic pneumonias and patients taking oral corticosteroids were excluded from the study. Results: Among 118 study participants 90 (76.27%) were males and 28 (23.73%) were females. Mean age of study participants was 65.1 (±7.1SD) years. Patients with moderate COPD were 43.2% (FEV1:50%-69%), 29.7% had severe COPD (FEV1:30%-49%) and 27.1% had very severe COPD (FEV1 :< 30%). Among all COPD patients 71.2% were smokers and 28.8% were nonsmokers.The frequency of Eosinophilia in COPD patients was 38.1%. Conclusion: Eosinophilia is present in a considerable number of patients with COPD and is more common in severe COPD patients. Key words: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Eosinophilia; Pulmonology