Profile of a Brazilian population with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a public health problem. Tobacco smoking is the major cause, but not the only one. Air pollution, exposure to chemicals, environmental smoke exposure, and passive smoking are among other contributing causes; being viral and bacterial infections also risk factors. Gender and weight are associated to the severity of the disease. Co-morbidity is frequent. OBJECTIVE: To characterize a population of COPD outpatients followed at an outsourced medical service. METHODS: Questionnaires were applied to patients with COPD. The data included gender, age, weight, body mass index (BMI), oxygen delivery users, and FEV1, exposure to tobacco smoke, exposure to wood smoke, history of tuberculosis and co-morbid diseases. RESULTS: Of the 70 patients enrolled in the study, 70% (49) were men with an average age of 64 ± 10 years, average weight of 63 ± 16 kg and average BMI of 22 ± 5 kg/m². Mean FEV1 was 35 ± 14% and 45.7% were oxygen dependent. Nine (12.8%) patients never smoked, while 78.8% had quit tobacco smoking, (38 ± 11 pack/years was the average). Nine (12.8%) smoked corn husk cigarettes. Eighteen (25.7%) were exposed to wood smoke. Eleven (15.7%) patients had tuberculosis, 5.7% complained of asthma symptoms, 2.8% had bronchiectasis, 11.4% diabetes mellitus, 51.4% hypertension, and 20% Cor pulmonale. CONCLUSION: Other possible COPD etiologies must be investigated. Determinants of the pulmonary injury could be environmental smoke exposure associated to former infections. Men with low BMI are typically representative of this severe patient population. Hypertension and Cor Pulmonale are frequent co-morbidity factors.