Hussain Ahmad, Saadia Ashraf, Rukhsana Farooqi, Mukhtiar Zaman.
Frequency of Modifiable Risk Factors in patients Admitted with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at Pulmonology Unit, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar.
Pak J Chest Med Jan ;19(3):110-5.

Objective: To determine the frequency of modifiable risk factors in patients admitted with acute exacerbation of COPD. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross sectional study conducted at Pulmonology Unit Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar from October 2009 to October 2010. A total of 151 patients who got admitted with COPD exacerbation were recruited. Demographic characteristics and informations regarding modifiable risk factors of COPD exacerbations (current smoking, exposure to biomass fuel smoke, adherence to treatment and vaccination against influenza and pneumococcus) were recorded in a structured proforma. Mean, median, mode and standard deviation of age; frequencies/percentages of sex and all modifiable risk factors were calculated using SPSS-16. Results: The mean age of patients was 62 (± 9.32 SD) years, male to female ratio of 1:1.35, moderate to very severe COPD with a duration of 8.81(± 5.72 SD) years and smoking history in pack years was 33.07(±1 9.10 SD). The lack of vaccination against influenza (in the last year) and pneumococcus (in the last 5 years) was found in 82.2% and 97.4% respectively. Adherence to treatment (taking >80% medicines/doses) was 19.2%, current exposure to biomass fuel smoke was17.9% while 12.6% were current smokers. Conclusion: Patients with acute exacerbation of COPD had a high prevalence of modifiable risk factors of exacerbation, and failure to address these may lead to avoidable hospitalizations.

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