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Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) Exacerbation. A Clinical Audit in Nasser Hospital, Gaza-Strip, Palestine



Author(s)

Maha Sadat Al-Faqawi, Yousef Zuheir Abuowda, Alaa Eldeen Mahmoud Elmassry and Bettina Böttcher

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DOI:10.17265/1548-6648/2017.04.003

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem. World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that COPD will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. The frequency and severity of COPD exacerbations, as well as the management approach of these exacerbations are the most important measures determining overall prognosis in COPD. This audit was designed to assess the current practice in COPD exacerbation management and compare it to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Guideline, 2015 standards. The sample was selected retrospectively from the patients who were admitted to the Nasser Hospital between 2014-2016. In total, 55 patients were identified for this audit. The mean age was 66.4+/-4.6 years and 98.2% were male. All patients received inhaled bronchodilators, of these 64.4% received short acting beta2-agonists (SABA), 78% short-acting muscarinic agonists (SAMA), 23.6% long-acting muscarinic agonists (LAMA), 1.8% long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) and 40% both SABA and SAMA. 96.4% patients received systemic corticosteroids. 78.2% of patients took > 40 mg Prednisolone daily. 21.8% received Prednisolone for 5 days, while the majority received for a shorter period. Other treatments included 92.7% had oxygen, 100% antibiotics, 5.5% antiviral medication and 3.6% theophylline. No patient received chest physiotherapy.

Audit, COPD, exacerbation, Nasser Hospital, chronic, Obstructive, pulmonary, disease.