ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore gender differences in the clinical manifestations of patients hospitalized with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and to find independent risk factors for their prognosis.

Methods: Data from a retrospective study were analysed. Patients diagnosed with AECOPD were consecutively enrolled from a respiratory ward from October 2010 to March 2012. The following clinical data were evaluated: body mass index (BMI), arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary function test during hospitalization or last pulmonary function test result before admission and exercise capacity. All data were analysed using SPSS 13.0 statistical software. P-values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: One hundred and fifty-one patients hospitalized with AECOPD were enrolled. There were no significant gender differences in age, BMI, length of hospitalization, family history, exercise capacity, respiratory failure, inducement, the number of antibiotics used during hospitalization or COPD severity grade. Statistically significant differences were observed for cigarette smoking history, the first clinical manifestations of the beginning of the disease and chronic co-morbidities by gender. Gender was not an independent risk factor for short- or long-term prognosis.

Conclusions: In patients hospitalized with AECOPD, there was statistical significance by gender for the first symptom at the beginning of the disease. Significantly more males were cigarette smokers than females. Regarding co-morbidities, the frequency of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and ischaemic heart disease were significantly greater in females. For patients hospitalized with AECOPD, gender was not an independent risk factor for short- or long-term prognosis.