Polycythemia among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Admitted to the Department of Medicine in a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a preventable and treatable disease marked by persistent airflow limitation. Abnormal rise of haemoglobin and/or hematocrit in peripheral blood is known as polycythemia which includes increased haemoglobin: greater than 16.5 g/dl in men or greater than 16.0 g/dl in women and increased hematocrit: >49% for men and >48% for women. Men, current smoking, impaired carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, severe hypoxemia, and high altitude living are risk factors associated with an increased risk for secondary polycythemia. Polycythemia contributes to the development of cor-pulmonale and pulmonary hypertension, which are linked to poor prognosis. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of polycythemia among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to the department of medicine in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admitted to the Department of Medicine in a tertiary care centre after receiving ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 153/079/080). The study was conducted from 15 September 2022 to 2 December 2022. Data were collected from the hospital records. A convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 185 patients, Polycythemia was seen in 8 (4.32%) (1.39-7.25, 95% Confidence Interval) patients among which 7 (87.5%) were females and 1 (12.5%) were male. Conclusions: The prevalence of polycythemia was lower compared to other similar studies done in similar settings.